Broken Wings
by Tangerine Infinity
Summary: One girl. One book. Seven seishi. Sound like every other FY story? Think again. Something's corrupted within the UotFG, and it's even affecting the seishi. Can the new miko save the empire? Chapter 23 Up!
1. The Miko's Niece

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _Fushigi Yuugi, _but I do own Mikako, Hoshi, and a few other characters that might pop up here and there. Oh, and of course I own the story.

**Author's Note**: Hello all! This is my first fanfic on this account, and I'm trying out some new things with it, so I'm incredibly interested in hearing what everyone thinks. So whether you like it or not, I cannot stress enough that I _really_ want to hear some reviews. I want to improve as a writer, both of regular fiction and fanfiction, so every piece of advice, every critique, and every scrap of opinion helps me to do just that! Thank you so much!

**Oh, and By the Way... **THIS IS NOT A SELF-INSERTION! If I ever write one of those, I want someone to stab me with a pitchfork. It's written in first-person, but that's only because Mikako wanted it that way. Mikako _does not_ equal Tangerine Infinity.  
I hope that makes you feel better. :-) Please enjoy "Broken Wings"! Talk to you later!

* * *

**/ Broken Wings /  
****Soaring from the Ashes, However Many Times**

**Chapter One: The Miko's Niece (Great-Great Niece, in Fact)  
**Sometimes, when a person sits down to write a story, they figure that maybe they ought to embellish that story a little bit. You know, make it more interesting and such. But when you think about it, that's kind of stupid, isn't it? Because if the story was worth writing in the first place, then why do you need it to be fancier? Doesn't make much sense to me, anyway. That's why this isn't going to be one of those stories. I'm going to tell it like it happened, and some people out there aren't going to like it, but that's how it's going to be. If there was romance, then there was romance, and that's how it was; it there was a battle, or a dramatic moment, or even tragedy, then that's how it happened. It won't always be fantastic, and it won't always have that killer "bang!" like those other stories, but this isn't one of those other stories.

If you want a story like that, then you ought to go talk to my great-great-aunt's old friend. She knew how to spin a tale like no one else. As a matter of fact, she spun a tale out of my great-great-aunt's true tale – and she told the truth, or mostly the truth, because like I said all the real writers embellish a little bit – and it made her a little bit famous. I say a little bit because she was only _really_ popular in one country, and only a little popular in some of the others, but there were still people as far away as America who knew about her, and that has to account for something.

But like I was saying, she spun this great story out of my Oba-san's story, a true story, about how my relative went into a book, only it wasn't a book but a real world. And in that world, she met the man of her dreams and these wonderful friends, and she was supposed to summon a god to bring peace to a kingdom. It all sounds very romantic, I know, which I guess is why I grew up hanging on every word of the old stories, though I never believed them, not really. Still, I was my great-great-aunt's biggest fan, and the biggest fan of her friend, Watase-san – have you heard of her? She's the one who turned the true story into manga, and she did a bang-up job of it, too. I'm an otaku of my own history, I guess you could say; they even tell me that my great-grandmother was a priestess, for a little while, but I don't believe any of that. Sounds like one of those embellishments that authors like to use, if you ask me.

This isn't my old aunt's story; that's already been told, and there's no reason for me to tell it again, not when Watase-san did it so well the first time. This is my story, if you want to call it that. It's the story I was in, at least, though it was hardly _my _story – it belonged to everyone, to all of them, from Joumi-senpai to my pal Hoshi, and all the way to Natsuyuki-san. Especially to Natsuyuki-san, because without her I suppose there wouldn't have been any story at all. But none of them wanted to do the telling, and some of them _couldn't_ do the telling, and I feel like people need to know about it, even if they take it to be a fabrication, at least they'll know the story. I owe it to everyone to give the world that much, at least. So, that's what I'm going to do. For their sakes, and for my own, that's what I'm going to do.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. A real story has to start at the beginning, not halfway through it or rambling around towards the end. It's got to have a proper starting place.

Mine starts with a UFO doll.

oOo

My best friend Hoshi McKinsley was famous at our high school for two things: her great ability to tell stories, and her even greater ability to forget everything _except_ those stories. She could keep an entire class on the edge of their seats with one of her classic tales, but when Nakamura-sensei handed out a math assignment the papers were almost immediately lost within the chaos of her book bag, sometimes never to be seen again.

Which is why I wasn't very surprised when she left my Chiriko UFO doll at her house instead of bringing it to school for our "Entertainment Timeline" project for Japanese History. We were supposed to go through history, looking at the different mediums of art and entertainment, and anime was going to be one of our later showcases. My huge collection of _Fushigi Yuugi_ (that's what Watase-san called my great-aunt's story) was our key visual, and the Chiriko doll added "kawaii," or cute, points.

And naturally, my dearest friend in the world forgot it.

"You know, I really don't ask for much," I remarked as we marched to history missing one required visual. "A kind word or two when I'm having a bad day, maybe a free cookie when I come over for study sessions…"

"Must we go over this again?" Hoshi shifted her book-bag onto her other shoulder, making a great show of studying her nails for some speck of invisible dirt. "I'm half-American. Therefore, I'm only half-obligated to take responsibility for these actions. So let me repeat: it's my sister's fault for rushing me through breakfast this morning."

"Ah, so I should blame her student government meeting for our lost presentation points?"

"Precisely."

Eloquence is essential for a good storyteller, and Hoshi has that in full. She has the ability to make anything sound exotic. She also has an uncanny knack of making almost anything sound logical. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. I smacked her over the back of the head with our rolled-up poster board and oh-so-eloquently suggested that she throw her foreigner excuses out the window – or perhaps roll them up into bombs and toss them onto the heads of south-Asian citizens, since that's where most of them went anyway. She laughed and told me that the Great American Empire would see me hanged for this offense. So I hit her with the poster board one last time.

We have an ongoing joke about Hoshi's nationality, though most people barely notice things like that anymore. My parents like to talk about days when seeing a six-foot tall blue-eyed stranger walking through downtown Tokyo was something to stare at; that was before the Alliances though, and the creation of "Market Lingo." Dad likes to say that nowadays an alien could march through the shopping mall and people would barely bat an eyelid. He says it's almost unnatural – I say it's about time. If history class taught me anything (besides that Hoshi should never be in charge of _anything_!), it's that problems come when people spend too much time worrying about how they're different than about how they're the same.

The word "foreigner" is nearly extinct, but Hoshi and I still enjoy it for our little jokes. In true American fashion, we blame her mother for our strange sense of humor – she loves to joke about how she was exiled from the states as a college student because of her "wild liberal ideas." Thanks to her, I know more about the early-21st century Presidents than I ever wanted to know – and most of it isn't very positive. That's what happens when you meet a blameless American, though.

But back to the story.

"Look, you _must_ have some sort of back-up UFO doll in that sack you call a book-bag," Hoshi insisted, pointing towards the bulging blue knapsack dangling from my aching shoulder. "I thought you always carted those things around, just in case you wanted to take a nap in dear Nakamura-sensei's class." Hoshi giggled and glanced away innocently. "I know that sleeping without a UFO doll in your arms is almost blasphemy for you, Miko-chan."

My full name is Kasumiya Mikako, but Hoshi loves shortening it to Miko since I'm such a nut about _Fushigi Yuugi_. And she never misses an opportunity to tease me for my obsession, though she's just as in love with the manga and anime as I am. I glared at her across the small hallway. "I left them all at home because I thought _you'd_ be bringing Chiriko for me, thank you _very much._" I sniffed and looked away, feeling particularly betrayed. "Now what am I supposed to snuggle when I pass out in science…?"

Hoshi stifled a giggle. "Maybe Ueda-kun will be up for a little hug…"

I smacked her with my ten-pound book-bag (better known as "the brick") and stomped down the hall, cheeks bright red. As I reached the end of the hallway, I glanced back over my shoulder and shouted mutinously: "Shows what you know! _My_ dream man happens to be a dark-haired bishounen, and his name is—"

"Hotohori-samaaaa!" Hoshi squealed teasingly, scurrying down the hall to catch up with me. "Well, if I meet an Emperor running around the streets of Tokyo, I'll be sure to give him your number, but until that day comes…" she glanced up through her long black lashes and grinned. "And speak of the devil…"

I followed her emerald gaze towards the young man hurrying down the hall in our direction. My cheeks turned bright pink. Ueda Eiri. High school junior, blood type AB, height 5'9", hair color dark black with a slight hint of dyed green, eye color brown and covered by black-framed glasses; favorite band: Black Lace; favorite singer: Yuuko Ichido; favorite manga: anything by Murakami Edward.

I am not a stalker.

"Ohayou, Ueda-kun," I called casually down the hallway, raising my hand in the coolest greeting I could muster. I offered him a tiny, coy smile, as if we shared some special secret, and gracefully, ever so gracefully... tripped on Hoshi's foot and nearly fell on my face.

And I wonder why I'm still single.

Ueda-kun chuckled. "Ohayou, Kasumiya-san, McKinsley-san. Are you ready to present your project today?"

While I tried to oh-so-smoothly regain my composure, Hoshi nodded and jerked up the bag with our supplies in it. "Mm! We've got all of our visuals right in here, and we even added this simply marvelous series of skits to the presentation. Yukita-san will, I do believe, be showering us in flowers by the end of the production." I glared at her, and she winced visibly. "Well... perhaps not _everything _is perfectly ready..."

"Our most adorable prop in the world happens to be missing," I explained. "Because _someone _was in a hurry to get to school this morning." I glanced over and noticed that Hoshi was mouthing my words with this ridiculous look on her face – her eyes all scrunched up and her mouth puckered, like she'd swallowed a lemon or something. I tried out my fiercest glare, though it never seems to work much on anyone. "Stop treating this like a joke! That was the best visual in the entire project! It's practically an _antique!_"

"Ano..." we both glanced up to face Ueda-kun, who was smiling nervously at us. "You know, school doesn't start for another twenty minutes, and Yukita-san is pretty relaxed about people being late. If you hurried, you could probably make the train back to McKinsley-san's Sector, and..."

My eyes grew to about the size of dinner plates. Well, not really, but I like to pretend I live in the anime world from time to time. "Hontou ni?" I practically screamed, and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to hug-tackle him right there. "Oh Ueda-kun, thank you so, _so_ much! You're an absolute genius!"

"Oh, it was nothing..."

I ignored him and whirled on Hoshi, snatching up her arm and dragging her back down the hallway. I chanced a glance over my shoulder and noticed Ueda-kun still standing where we'd left him, looking a bit surprised and maybe a little insulted. Okay, so I'd just completely ditched him for UFO doll. So maybe I'm not the most attentive stalker in the world. But let's not forget this was a life or death situation, and my "A" could very well hang in the balance of a required visual in my project. Love always comes second to life, at least in my world. I'll leave the martyr stuff to TV. At least in the shows you have the chance of mysteriously reappearing twelve episodes later, or being reincarnated or something.

oOo

Hoshi stared out the window as the shop fronts of Tokyo zipped past the train. We both live and go to school in Sector Eight of the Tokyo East Tower (S-8 East for short), and we also live on the fifth story of the residential section together. Hoshi's in Sakura Hall, which is about five minutes closer to the school than my Hall (I'm in Orenji, if you were curious). The school was pretty close, all things considered, but we were still flirting with tardies and angry teachers, two things that Hoshi tried to avoid as much as possible. I could practically _smell_ the frustration dripping off her body. Finally, I remarked innocently, "If _you_ hadn't forgotten it..."

"If I am late for class, I shall probably receive a detention and therefore a weeks' punishment from my dearest mother. And if such a punishment is dealt, I shall miss the new episode of 'Hayaku Gaki' and I shall be forced to murder you, your family, and possibly your pet gerbil."

I rolled my eyes at her little speech. "Oh please, you know I always keep every episode stored on my Digibi. Once you're off restriction, you can just—"

"Irrelevant!" Hoshi cried in that melodramatic tone she loves so much. "By Thursday morning everyone will have told me the entire storyline at least seven times, and I shall have everything spoiled for me! Everything, Miko-dono, and all for your precious UFO doll!"

I stared at her for a few seconds. "I'm going to the bathroom, and I'm not coming out until you stop acting like an idiot."

"You can't run from your guilt, Kasumiya Mikako!"

I muttered something rude – something I prefer not to repeat for the sake of younger audiences – and slammed the W.C.'s door. Hoshi may be my best friend, but sometimes... but then again, she probably says the same thing about me. I guess that's why we work together so well (or poorly, as this narrative might have you thinking).

Anyway, I didn't really _need_ the facilities, so I took a seat on the plush couch and reached for a mirror on the nearby counter. I swear, these new trains are like miniature houses. As I snatched a comb out of my purse and started to stick the little bag under the couch, my hand thumped against something hard, with lots of nice, equally rough edges.

"Ow!" I yelped, pulling my hand back and grabbing my aching fingers. "Stupid train-riding people, always forgetting their stuff..." One time some moron left his entire book bag on one of the upper shelves of the train, and when our car rumbled to a halt that ruddy bag tipped over the edge and – _wham!_ – popped me right in the head. I almost thought I had a concussion, and I _know_ I had a lump for about five days, even if my mother did smooth out the bump with some Med... but I digress. The point is, people are too bloody forgetful! "What'd they leave behind to try and assassinate me _this_ time?"

I leaned under the couch and attacked, ready to give said offending object a good wallop... and found myself staring at the shadowy image of an old book. And _no one_ gets between me and a good book, not even my aching fingers. "Mine now!" I crowed, snatching it up from under the sofa. I held the ancient text up to the light, brushing a thick layer of dust off the cover. I squinted hard at the faded gold lettering, working out each old-fashioned kanji symbol with great pain. "The... Universe... Of..."

And then I realized what the rest of the symbols were, and why they looked so familiar, and I damn near passed out. I certainly fell off the sofa, because the next thing I remember I was scrambling up from the floor, grabbing my purse, and dashing for the exit.

"Hoshi! Hoshi!" I squealed, throwing open the bathroom door and skittering back across the empty train. I clutched the book to my chest like I'd just found the Holy Grail – which, as far as I was concerned, I had. "Hoshi! Hoshi! I found it! I found _it_!"

My dearest of friends stared at me blankly. She didn't even bother getting up from her seat. In fact, all she had to say in light of my amazing discovery was, "Ah, and I suppose by 'it' you don't mean your sanity. That's a real shame."

"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in her face. "Look! It's _it_!"

I shoved the book in front of her, its lettering barely readable to her as well... but that "barely" was just enough.

"Oh Sweet Buddha in his Temple!" she screamed, which translated from Hoshi-speak into something along the lines of "Oh my freaking GOD!" She snatched the book from my hands, turning it over and over again in disbelief. She was so excited that she even reverted back to normal speaking patterns, which is when you really know she's surprised. "You're _kidding_! You're _kidding_! This thing is actually – can it really – and it still – how could it possibly – how'd it possibly _get here_?"

"The will of the gods," I said, a tiny smile on my bewildered face. I held the opposite end of the book and stared at her across the cover. "Hoshi McKinsley... we're going in."

"We are?"

"Yes. Both of us. Right now."

"Do you – can we? Now that the gods have been summoned—"

"That didn't stop Grandma Mayo, did it?" I slipped my thumb between the cover and the first page, steadily pushing it open. "The book only shows up when it needs a miko, and I don't plan on ignoring a divine command. This is my _dream_, Hoshi, and I know it's yours too."

"My dream...?" Hoshi looked about ready to open the book with me, but then that starry look left her eyes and she frowned, pushing the page down again. "But it's a fairytale, Miko, and a dangerous one too. Are you sure it would be all right for us to mess with it? I mean, all we know about that world is what some author romanticized onto paper. We don't really know what'll be _in_ there..."

"Hotohori will be in there. And Tamahome. Chichiri. Tasuki. _Everyone_!"

Hoshi grinned, that happy little glaze coming back to her face. "Even Amiboshi...?"

"Even Amiboshi, Hoshi-chan."

I started slipping it open again, but she stopped me once more. "Wait. Miko... we can't do it now. Not here. It's too public. What if someone found the book while we were still inside? There's no knowing where we might end up. And besides, we have that project, remember? For class—"

"Who _cares_ about that project anymore, Hoshi? _The Universe of the Four Gods_ is _in our hands_!"

Hoshi shot me a look that said '_then why are we getting the stupid UFO doll?'_ but all she _actually_ said was: "And it'll still be there when school ends. But you know what won't be there? _Our_ passing grade." Hoshi pulled the book gently from my hands, setting it on the bench beside her. "Regardless of our old games and our beloved manga, we have lives to maintain as well. And I'm not going to ignore that life for the sake of a childhood fancy, Miko."

I sat down beside her, making no effort to hide my pout. Sometimes Hoshi could be so... so... _so_ _bloody_ _reasonable_! "I'd have thought that _you_ of all people, with your stories and your fantasy worlds, would've jumped at this chance," I murmured, staring rebelliously at the ancient book.

"The trick to living in my fantasy world," Hoshi said with a smile, "is the ability to acknowledge that it _is_ a fantasy world."

I opened my mouth to argue, or maybe I reached forward to grab the book back, but the train decided to slide to a halt right in front of Hoshi's residence Hall. "Level Eight, Residential Section, Sakura Hall," the mechanical driver announced in his usual sugary-polite tone. For the first time in my life I realized how much I hated that tone – would it have _killed_ the world to have _real_ people working at these jobs?

"This world is _too_ real," I grumbled as Hoshi grabbed the book and moved to the exit. "Gimme a 'childhood fancy' any day."

"Don't be so dramatic," Hoshi said with a teasing smile.

"_You're_ telling _me_ to cool the drama?" I cried, throwing a hand to my forehead in shock and hurrying after her. "At least I can talk like a normal human being!"

Hoshi shot something back at me and I said something in return, but I don't really remember what we were joking about. I couldn't get my mind off that book. The seishi and Konan – or Sairou, or Hokkan, or even Kutou – were just a few pages away, just inches from my fingertips, and yet, and yet... I mean, I _knew_ Hoshi was right. We really didn't know anything about the Universe of the Four Gods, except for some dramatized books and a few family stories passed down over the years, and we _did_ still have our normal lives to lead. There was Ueda-kun back at school, and our history project, and my parents and friends. Hoshi was right.

I just wished she _wasn't_ right more than anything in the world.

oOo

We slipped into Hoshi's home with little trouble – we even managed to avoid her work-at-home dad, who would've lectured us on forgetfulness for five hours if he'd even _sensed_ our presences in his house. Chiriko in all his adorable plushiness sat perched on Hoshi's desk, smiling at us as if to say, _'What took you so long? I've been waiting for hours!'_ Hoshi snatched the doll up and headed back to the door. "Tah-dah! Now, my obsessed comrade, may we return to our location of education, or shall we..." she trailed off, probably because I was rummaging around in her closer. Even with my back turned to her, I could still feel the frustration shooting out of her body. "_Now _what?"

"I just remembered that I left Volume 1 & 2 of _Gyokuran High_ over here last weekend. I want 'em back so I can loan them out to Ueda-kun."

Hoshi sighed, and a tiny sweatdrop popped out on her forehead. Okay, not really, but I told you that I like pretending that I live in an anime. "That figures." I ruffled around unsuccessfully through her Lolita-style clothes, tarot cards, mythology books, old anime disks, and stacks of _Ribon_ magazines until finally Hoshi groaned and shoved me out of the way. "For Demeter's sake, Miko, you're annihilating my entire system!"

"You call this nuclear wasteland a 'system'?"

"Genius is symbolized by messiness, you know."

"Then get the Nobel Prize ready, 'cause you must be the next Stephen Hawking."

"Oh, shut up and go play with your stupid UFO doll!"

I chuckled. I can always tell when I've _really_ pushed Hoshi's buttons because she drops all her extra language. I plopped down on her bed next to the Universe of the Four Gods and Chiriko. I picked the book up and held it above my head, turning it back and forth and studying the old lettering with supreme reverence. "Oh, end of school, hurry up and get here!" I moaned to the heavens. "I'm so sick of this boring life...!"

"Well excuse Ueda-kun and I for our most terrible dullness," Hoshi drawled from within her bottomless closet.

"You know what I mean, Hoshi-chan! Magic and mystery, adventure, romance, prince charming on a white horse... none of that stuff really happens anymore, not in _this_ world. Even chivalry died with the Civil Rights Movement."

"Yes, damn those feminists, why couldn't they have stayed in the kitchen where they belonged?"

"Can't you be serious for two seconds?" I cried, snatching a pillow off her bed and hurling it across the room.

"Can't you be _smart_ for two seconds?" she shot back, whirling around, catching the pillow, and flinging it right back at me without missing a beat. "I don't know if you forgot, but Konan wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. It happened to be filled with rapists, gangs, rapists, enemy warriors, rapists, disease, oh, and did I mention rapists?"

"But it all worked out in the end!"

"Try telling that to your dearly departed Hotohori-sama."

I scowled. "You don't understand at all, do you? And here I thought you felt the same way I did. I thought you'd _jump_ at a once-in-a-lifetime chance like this."

"Maybe I will when school is finished, but I can't worry about a dream right now," she explained, turning back to her closet and continuing her search for the ever-elusive manga. "You might find this hard to believe, Miko-chan, but I actually _enjoy_ my life in this world, and I enjoy it _because_ of its terrible lack of Prince Charmings ready to sweep me away on their white horses. I love fairytales, but I'd prefer to keep them in their respective place as fairytales. I'm a terrible horseback rider, anyway."

I heaved a sigh and leaned over to stare at the adorable Chiriko UFO doll next to me. "_You_ would've been game, huh Chiri-chan? _You_ would've thought it was an _adventure_, not an annoying fairytale."

"Speaking with dolls, now? Should I call Dr. Freud?"

"Hoshi-chan, would you—?"

But right then, something big happened. Something that was about to change _everything_. Because right when I stared to yell at Hoshi I also sat up and reached over to grab another pillow off her bed. But when I moved my hand to go for the pillow, I lost a good handle on the Universe of the Four Gods with my _other_ hand. The book slipped from my fingers and into my lap, flipping lazily open to the first page. The entire book glowed a brilliant crimson, and a bird cried out somewhere – a horrible cry, as if someone were snapping the great beast's wings in half – and my vision blurred over with feathers and light...

And just like that, I was off.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Oba-san – Aunt  
Ohayou – Good morning (informal)  
Hontou ni? – Really?  
Bishounen – pretty boy  
ShiChiJinTessho – Universe of the Four Gods  
Sakura – Cherry Blossom  
Orenji – Orange (hehe)  
Miko – Priestess

**Suffixes:  
**-san: Mr., Mrs. Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-kun: Doesn't translate; it's used on male classmates, mostly  
-sensei: Teacher  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids  
-dono: Super-polite term (and very old-fashioned)

**Names Explained!  
**Mikako (美海子 ): the kanji for Mikako's name means "Beautiful (Mi) Ocean (Ka) Child (Ko)," because she was born by the sea. Her nickname, Miko, means "Priestess."

Hoshi (星): "Star" (a lot simpler, huh?)

**Author's Note 11/20/05  
**Hi everyone!  
I'm Tangerine Infinity, but you can call me Tangerine, or Tai (**Ta**ngerine **I**nfinity, get it?) for short. Well, _Broken Wings_ has kicked off, and I'm curious to see what everyone has to say about it, so please let me know what you think! (Even if you don't like it, tell me that, too! I won't be able to improve otherwise) I know it's only just gotten started, but I hope you'll stick with it, because things are going to really pick up in the next couple chapters.  
So what did you think of Tokyo in the future? (The year is 2092, by the way) I wanted to make it look like we made some progress in 100 years or so, while at the same time giving it a semi-modern feel. You can pretty much say "good-bye" to it now, though, because Mikako's diving into the book! Next time: A Seishi Will Appear! But which one? You'll have to come back to find out!

See you again soon!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	2. Merchants

**Author's Note: **Tada, here it is, Chapter Two! Christmastime gets pretty busy for me, so this might be the last chapter out for a couple weeks or so. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Merchants (Well, Actually Thieves)  
**Blue sky. Softly swaying trees, lush with bright leaves. A gentle breeze on my cheek. Two sparrows flitting lazily overhead.

I was definitely not in Tokyo anymore.

I sat up and stretched, looking around and taking in my surroundings. A tiny grove of trees lay to my right, but to my left there was nothing but rice fields and the faint outline of a dirt road somewhere in the distance. Farm country, I guessed, though I've only seen that kind of land in picture books, and this one time when my mom took me out to my uncle's farm. What can I say, I'm a true-blue city brat. I stood up and breathed in the crisp air, listened to the birdsong, felt the springy grass beneath my feet and the summer's wind on my face.

"YES!" I screamed, completely ruining the peaceful scene by jumping into the air and dancing around the clearing. "The book accepted me, it really _did_ want me, I'm gonna be a Priestess, this is absolutely _un-be-lievable_!"

I threw my arms around the nearest tree and hugged the wood with all my might – and oh, it felt so _real_, just like I'd always dreamed about! And somewhere out there in the wide, _real_ world that I'd just jumped into, somewhere out there were all the seishi – was Hotohori-sama...

Something rustled in the bushes, rudely interrupting my victory dance. I jerked my head around, still hugging the tree, and blinked as three burly men burst through the trees. I guess it'd be unfair to say that I was expecting them, but let's just say that I wasn't exactly _surprised_ that they'd show up at such a perfect moment. After all, if I really _was_ the Priestess, then _some_one was bound to try and attack me before long. Call it "the curse of the unbearably lucky," if you want.

I let go of the tree and turned around to face them, but I didn't start running just yet. Maybe I was hoping for some sexy bit of seishi to jump out and save me, but I like to think I'm not _that_ delusional. To be honest, I was too busy staring at them to run. Something about these three creeps seemed... different, somehow, from the fellows I'd always read about in my aunt's story.

"Well lookie here boys, a little sparrow's wandered away from home," the biggest remarked in classic-villain style. Some things never change, I guess. "Some village gal, I'd guess, and dressed so fancy, too."

My eyes widened. That was it! It was their _clothes_ that seemed so weird to me! All three of them were wearing white, tight-fitting tank-tops (the youngest had a red jacket on over his shirt) and multi-colored denims! These guys didn't look like a "Chinese Acrobat Troupe" – they looked more like something from the Classic Television Network. Very early millennium. Except, why would people in _Konan_ be wearing—?

"A girl with clothes like that must have some real cash in the family," the blonde-haired chap said, interrupting my little revelation. "I've never seen designer stuff like _that_ before. Bet she'd fetch a high price, eh boys?"

A chorus of agreement filled the clearing. I blinked and stared down at my clothes. That day – it's so funny that I remember this – I was wearing a blue top with a white flower pattern on it. The sleeves rested right on my shoulders and fell to my elbows, but they flared out at the bottom so that they looked like they reached my wrists. The top was trimmed in gold and tied at the waist with a sash of the same color. Underneath I had on a small black sleeveless shirt, and a pair of black nylon shorts that went to about my knees. "This is actually pretty middle-class..." I muttered, but when my eyes went back to them they were already rushing me, arms outstretched to attack. Now, I might be a romantic, but I'm not some kind of idiot. I turned tail and bolted for the far-off road, trusting my sandals to hold out as I ran like hell. "_Thank the Goddess for track practice!"_ I silently prayed.

"No good!" I yelped as my sandal caught the edge of a rock. The thong snapped and my shoe went flying one way, with my body careening the other. I hit the ground hard – just like in track practice, I thought with a sigh. Leave it to me to forget that I _sucked_ at track, and at such a crucial time, too!

I tried to scramble up, but those Chinese blokes weren't sporting those muscles for no reason, and unlike me they'd come in running shoes. A pair of big, sweaty hands grabbed my wrists and jerked me to my feet, pulling my arms back and twisting hard. I yelled a curse and tried to kick at him, but I just wound up losing my _other_ shoe and getting my arms jerked harder.

"Don't fight him," one of them advised in an almost friendly tone. He stuck his face in front of mine – he was probably the youngest of the group, and not _that_ nasty-looking all things considered, but I still tried to head-butt him when he got too close. He sighed and rubbed at the faint line of brown stubble on his chin. "Spunk like that is only gonna get you into trouble, hun."

'_Hun?'_ What kind of word was that? It sounded like something out of a 1950s gangster flick. Gag. I scowled at him but did my best to sound reasonable. "Look, if you're trying to make money off me it's not going to work. My money wouldn't be any good here, and my parent's aren't anywhere around to ransom me. You're wasting you time, okay? So just let me go. I have things to do."

The guy with the sweaty hands – the one that was currently ripping my arms out of their sockets – laughed. "Ransom is low on my list of priorities, hun." Ach. '_Hun'_ again! "There's a sweet market for gals like you in Sairou, _especially_ if no one's gonna miss ya – ARGH!"

Sweaty Hands let me go. I stumbled away about two steps on my bare feet, wincing at the rocks digging into my toes. I whirled to face my new enemies – and, more importantly, the gorgey man who I knew had saved me. Mr. Sweaty Hands was on the ground, rubbing his sore cheek and staring up at a man cracking his knuckles. I couldn't help but stare at him too, because... well, remember when I said "gorgey"? Multiply that by about five billion. This guy was _cho-kakkoi_! He had this pitch-black hair that fell just a little bit into his rich brown eyes and fluffed back across the top of his head to about his shoulders – well, I guessed that it fell to his shoulders, because he kept most of it up in a low ponytail. Nice body, too, though I honestly can't remember exactly what he was wearing right then – with a face like that, it really didn't matter. I opened my mouth to try and guess his seishi name: 'Uruki' of the Genbu seishi came to mind, or even 'Tomite,' and possibly 'Tasuki' with those angrily narrowed eyes, but right as I was about to say _"Thanks, Seishi-san" _the guy on the ground shouted out: "Boss!"

...Boss?

"You IDIOT!" the gorgey-guy bellowed, bringing up his foot and kicking Mr. Sweaty Hands again and again. "What the _hell_ are you doing way out here when I _told_ you to stay by the trailer? We've got merchandise that isn't gonna watch itself, and if someone walks off with it then _I_ walk off with your head, got it asshole!"

"B-but Boss..." Sweaty Hands cried from his fetal position on the ground. I felt sorry for him, a little, until I remembered that my arms still hurt from him yanking them around so much. Jerk.

"Don't you try that 'But Boss' bull with me!" their leader snapped, dealing one last kick to the guy's kidneys. "We're running a tight business here and I ain't about to lose one scrap of the profits!"

"Boss..." the youngest interrupted. "We came to investigate some noises – and look what we found!" he jerked a finger in my direction. I gulped. Oh, crap. I was supposed to have _ran_ before they remembered me.

"Ano..." I began, but never got a chance to say much else. The leader turned on the young guy, sending him across the clearing with a sharp punch to the face.

"YOU IDIOT!" he roared again. "What good do you think that brat will be, eh?" he stalked across the clearing and jerked me to my feet. My arms were once again nearly pulled out of their sockets, and I probably would've hit him if I hadn't been so surprised. Instead I just stared at him, trying to get the feeling in my shoulders back, as he continued: "First off, in case you forgot: it's _illegal_ to barter women in Kutou – thank you 'Sakamoto Clause' – and if someone caught us hauling her over the border our little trade route would be finished. Secondly, did you take a minute to _look_ at this little brat?" To my extreme surprise, he grabbed my right breast in one hand and extended it to the boys, declaring, "With a chest this flat we'd barely get 100 ryo out of her, and it's not like she has any redeeming features in the looks department."

"HEY!" I yelled, struggling in his grip.

"What's wrong kid?" his voice dripped fake sympathy. "Scared? Is Riki-san hurting you?"

"You aren't hurting me – you're PISSING ME OFF!" I managed to fling an elbow into his face, screaming as loud as I could. "Help! Someone! Hentai men on the loose, attacking innocent girls! Tasukete – mph!"

Riki, as he called himself, changed his hold on me until he was standing behind me and clasped a hand over my mouth. "Shut up, damn you! There's no one around for miles, and you're hurting my ears!" I fought and yelled through his palm anyway, until he brought up his other arm and tightened it around my throat. "Shut _up_, didn't I say that? I don't _need_ you, girl, and if you keep struggling I'm gonna _make sure_ you stop."

Remembering his attacks from earlier, I did the smart thing and shut up. He released his hold on my mouth but kept a firm grip on my wrists so I couldn't run, or even properly hit him. I glared at the ground mutinously, wondering where the _hell_ my seishi were so they could hurry up and rescue me from these jerks.

"Listen," the Riki git began, his tone sounding seriously annoyed, "I don't have time to deal with trading women, okay? My wares are in _real_ slaves and goods, not flat-chested brats. You boys can get your kicks anytime you're off-duty, but I didn't hire you to find me useless property."

"Who said I was property?" I cried.

He totally ignored me. So I said it again, louder this time.

"Excuse me, asshole! Who said I was—?"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Riki finally lost his patience and grabbed me by the collar, shaking me until my teeth rattled. "I don't care who you are or what you have to say so just SHUT UP, got it girl?"

"My _name_ isn't 'girl' – it's Kasumiya Mikako!"

"I DON'T CARE!" he released his hold and shoved me back on my bum. By now I'd sort of figured he wasn't going to hit me, but I didn't want to push him too far, so I opted to quiet up for a second and see what he had to say. "You," Riki finally began, seething like a nuclear plant about to blow, "are a thorough waste of time, and time happens to equal money. Therefore, you're wasting my money, which is something I _really_ can't stand. Unfortunately, _Mikako_, you've met my gang and know how we roll. And that could mean very bad news for Kuroyoku's Traveling Market, got it?" He whipped forward, snatching at my wrist again and, for the third time that day, yanking me to my feet. God, you'd think a girl could get a "_please stand, m'lady_," every once in a while. "So here's question for you, kid: You know how to cook a meal?"

"H-hai..." I agreed, cocking a confused eyebrow.

"Clean a shirt?"

"H-hai."

"Use a calculator?" I stared at him blankly. He growled and changed his question. "Can you do math and handle money?"

"Sure." If I have my Persocom with me, I added quietly.

"That's good luck for you, then, 'cause right now we've got about two lovely options. Number one: you sign yourself on as a member of this little team and join my operation."

"I'd rather die!" I spat.

"That's convenient. That's Option Two."

I licked my lips. "I changed my mind."

"Smart," he said with a smirk. "Hey, Koichiro!"

The youngest jumped to attention. "H-hai?"

Riki swung me out of his arms and into Koichiro's chest. "You're in charge of the brat. If she talks back, teach her not to."

"H-hai!"

"Now all of you get the hell back to the truck! You'd think I was running a goddamned vacation cruise with the way you piss around! C'mon, it's a long drive to Konan, boy-os, and every second is money _you_ sonsabitches lose, got it?"

Koichiro dragged me off through the clearing, close on the heels of his two companions and with the sound of Riki's threats echoing behind us.

oOo

Later that night I sat with my legs dangling over the back of the group's pick-up, pouting as I watched Riki take a bite of food – food _I'd_ cooked, but apparently couldn't eat until I proved I could "earn my keep." The merchant leader who had the nerve to be so attractive slurped at my stew and immediately spat it back out. "You call this food? Pigs eat better slop!"

"If you want something good then you'd better give me better supplies than water, carrots and cabbage!" I snarled right back. I admit that it wasn't the greatest meal on the planet, but give a girl a break! I'd never even _heard_ of some of those weird cooking machines he'd made me use – I mean really, how was I supposed to know that that white bowl with the lid and the cord was a thing called a crock pot? Nobody used that kind of backwards technology in my world. Not that I was going to tell _Riki_ that, of course. The last thing he or his gang needed to know was that I was from a different world. It was bad enough that they thought I was a runaway rich-kid from some Kutou farm.

Riki ate the rest of the meal with only a few grumbles, but when he was done all he said was, "I expect better tomorrow."

"Whatever," I grumbled. "Just gimme my portion, okay?"

"Fine," he said, and tossed his almost-empty bowl right into my lap, soiling part of my shorts with a glob of the thick brown broth.

Riki had found it necessary to tie and lock me to the truck so I couldn't sneak off, but that didn't stop me from reaching out and kicking him in the back of the head. "JERK!" I spat. "I hope you're gonna pay for getting these _cleaned_, they're a designer pair and they cost my dad a real fortune!"

"That's your own damn fault," he snapped back. "Who wears outrageous stuff like that anyway? You look like something out of a sci-fi flick."

"And _you_ look like someone from a bad after-school special!" I kicked him again, harder this time.

He whirled on me and raised a fist. "Would you stop that? I warned you—!"

"Break your cook and get no more cheap meals!" I reminded him sweetly. He grudgingly lowered his hand and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"What're you doing, insulting my clothes?" he demanded, giving up on physical punishment for the moment. "I'll have you know I bought these from a very classy foreign store."

"What, like Wal-Mart?" I snorted, naming the cheapest and biggest chain I knew.

"So what if they're off-brand? The price is unbeatable!"

I blinked and cocked an eyebrow. "Eh? You mean it actually was...?"

He grinned in victory. "Ha! Can't tell at all, can you? They're perfect replicas!"

I sighed. "Wow, there really _is_ a Wal-Mart everywhere you go... eh?"

Now that I thought about it, all these modern titles and outfits were awfully out of place for The Universe of the Four Gods. I mean, here I was, sitting in the back of a pick-up truck, talking to a guy in jeans, flannel and a "True Light" T-shirt, which I assumed was either a bad Emo band or a type of beer, and eating food that had been cooked in some machine called a crock pot. So maybe it wasn't 21st century Tokyo, but it sure wasn't anything like the Ancient China _I_ remembered reading about.

"Ne, asshole?"

"The name's Riki, you impudent brat."

"The name's Mikako, you tight-fisted jerk," I answered sweetly. "What year would it be, by chance?"

"The Fifth Year of Emperor Meigiri V, duh."

"Not in Konan terms! I mean like, overall!"

"Huh? Oh, 1996. Why?"

I stared at him. Even though I'd kinda guessed, I hadn't really _expected_ him to name a date only about 100 years behind my own. How was it that...? Well, time _did_ pass differently in the Universe of the Four Gods. Was it possible that almost a millennium had happened in their world, while only a century had gone by in mine? I frowned, setting my chin in my hands and trying to work out the math _without_ my Persocom. Oba-chan Miaka had been out of this world for about five hours and two months had passed, and then she'd been out for three years and ten years had passed, so... Those two times didn't really match up at all, I thought with a groan. "Maybe there _is_ no exact time table between their world and mine..." I murmured to myself.

"Hey, quit grumbling and answer my question," Riki growled. "How _couldn't_ you know the date? Have you been living under a rock for the past couple years or something? Or maybe you really are just an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot, I'm—!" I stopped, hesitant to explain where I was from. I didn't want this greedy merchant to take advantage of my, um, "special situation," since he seemed like the kind of guy who'd bite the head off a baby bird if it would bring him a profit.

But then again, maybe _telling _him would change his attitude towards me. Maybe he'd respect me – even help me! I mean, he was still a citizen of Konan. He had to want peace just as much as anyone else – and from what I'd gathered from him and Koichiro, peace was something the countries of the book were having a hard time getting right about now. Maybe I could make a friend out of this crook after all.

"Well, you see, I'm actually..."

A gunshot sounded from the East. I nearly fell of the truck, I jumped so high, but Riki just stared at the nearby trees, remarking calmly, "Someone's coming."

A second later screams erupted from the forest and out burst Riki's men, pale as sheets and looking like they'd seen a ghost. "Boss, boss...!" Koichiro panted, clutching a wound on his arm. "We were guarding the trailer, but – one of _them_ – and then a whole pack...!"

"Tch!" Riki spat. "You useless morons can't do anything without me. I'm docking your pay, got it? I don't fight these bastards out of _pleasure_, y'know."

"Whatever you say, just please—!"

Riki moved to the truck and knocked me out of the way, rummaging around until he pulled up an old-fashioned handgun. 9 Mill, if my knowledge of 20th century gangster flicks serves me right. "This'll only take a few minutes. Try to stay alive until I get back."

"But Boss!" Mr. Sweaty Hands began, sweating even more than usual. "What if they get around you and find us?"

"What's that to me?" Riki's voice held so much ice in it that I felt a chill go all the way up and down my spine. "There are _goods_ out there that might get stolen. You think your worthless lives mean anything compared to that?"

His three cronies stared at him blankly. I couldn't help but do the same. He flashed us a quick, totally ruthless grin, then disappeared into the trees.

As soon as he was gone Koichiro collapsed on the truck beside me, pale and breathing hard. Blood kept seeping out between his fingers, staining his sleeve and dripping to the bed of the truck. I paled a little at the injury, but kept my cool. "Hey, where do you keep the Med?" I asked, then kicked myself when I saw his confused look. These guys didn't even have Persocoms, or at least none that I could see. Of_ course_ they would've had any Med, that beautiful cure-all-painkiller-in-one. And I seriously doubted they had any Kizuda to stop the bleeding, either. Guess I'd have to do this the old-fashioned way, like in the books. "You got a first-aid kit?"

"Under the passenger's seat," Koichiro huffed. "There're some bandages and aspirin, I think."

"Guess that'll have to do." I hopped up, then remembered that Riki had locked me to the bumper. "Ugh..." I glared at the other two, "you boys wanna make yourself useful?"

Sweaty Hands and his blonde buddy took the hint and darted to the front of the truck. Koichiro whimpered in pain and closed his eyes. I couldn't help but frown – he might be a part of this ruddy merchant wagon, which automatically made him a first-class jerk, but he was less of a jerk than the others, so that probably counted for something.

"What _did_ that to you?"

"Rifle," he gasped. "They always... use rifles."

"Who?"

"The Kato family, who else?" He must've sensed my total confusion because he added: "They own all this land – have for centuries. This place is rich with caves full of rare minerals and gems, not to mention they've got buildings full of antiques they've hoarded over the years, but they sell it for a fortune to all the personal buyers, and to merchants trying to make a profit, too. _And_ they've got the land pretty well guarded. Riki's the only person strong enough to face their pack of bodyguards... heheh, swiping treasure from these rich bitches and selling it for half the street price is a sweet money-maker, but hardly anyone can do it and come out alive."

My eyes narrowed. "Oh, I get it. So you're all common thieves?"

"Not always," he said, grinning. "Sometimes we do drugs. In Sairou we always do slaves. Konan's best for selling jewels, though, and since we're heading home for a while, Boss figured we could make a cash stop here."

Three rapid gunshots roared from the east. Koichiro and I both winced. Sweaty Hands returned with the kit, glancing around nervously. I couldn't help but smile crookedly at him as I took the kit from his slick palms. "You know, for such big guys, you're _cho_-sissy." I love that term, 'cho.' I know it's really old-fashioned, but it has such a fun ring to it. "Can't _you_ fight these Kato thugs too?"

"Well..." the third member, who I'd been calling Blondie for lack of a better name, shifted from foot to foot. "We could _try_, but those guards are ruthless – and skilled, y'know. We're merchants—"

"Thieves!" I corrected.

"—not fighters, not really. That's why we joined up with Riki. He's the toughest guy I've ever met – he doesn't even really _need_ that gun of his. Prefers bashing in skulls with his own two hands. A real man's man. You don't find a lot of those anymore, y'know."

I scowled even harder. "Oh, stop stalking about that git like he's some kind of god. He doesn't care if you live or die."

"Of course not. But Boss doesn't really need us, and he gives us jobs anyway," Sweaty Hands explained. "That's a fair trade, these days."

" 'These days' must be a barrel of chuckles," I grumbled, grimacing as more gunshots sounded, and even closer this time. "So what happens if the Kato blokes kill him?"

"Oh, they can't," Koichiro announced confidently. I had to give the little guy credit – not only was he trusting of his leader, but he wasn't even making a fuss out of the alcohol I was pouring onto his bleeding shoulder.

"AAAAAGH!"

Well, not _much_ of a fuss.

More gunshots, closer and closer. I tied up the bandage and sat back with a sigh. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope you're right about Riki, Chiro-san."

"Chiro-san...?" Koichiro blinked at his new nickname.

"Your dear Boss might be a cold-hearted, greedy scumbag, but I felt a lot safer when he was around. Almost like..."

But I never finished my sentence, because the bushes rustled and Blondie moaned. "Oh, no..."

The shrubs exploded outward, and out stepped three... I kid you not: Ninja with shotguns.

I swear I'm not joking. I _swear_ it. They were dressed all in black, with masks and head scarves and everything, and they were toting the biggest rifles I'd ever seen. "1996 or not, this is definitely not my world..." I murmured, then remembered that _three shotgun-toting ninja_ were coming my way. Sweaty Hands and Blondie, God bless 'em, screamed like banshees and bolted for the woods. Chiro-san moaned beside me, too exhausted to move. I clapped a hand over his mouth and hit the bottom of the truck bed, praying that the Kato guards had missed us.

BLAM! BLAM!

Two shots, quick as light and loud as rockets. Then two desperate cries and the sound of bodies hitting the ground. I gasped quietly. Chiro-san met my frightened gaze with his own. Feet crunching over grass. Groans from nearby. Rifles loading, cocking—

"_No!" _Even those jerks didn't deserve _this_! I threw myself forward, leaping from the truck bed...

...And conveniently forgetting that I had been tied to the bumper.

"_Damn you Riki!" _I roared in my head as I slammed into the ground. I jerked up, only to find that I had a perfect view of my two fallen companions, begging for mercy with those bodyguards standing over them, and—

BLAM! BLAM!

That was all she wrote.

A cry escaped my throat without my meaning it to. I fought to quiet myself, but too late. Those ninja knew I was there, even if they couldn't see me in the dark just yet. And thanks to that scumbag Riki, I couldn't fight back or run away. I kept still and quiet, praying that maybe they'd miss me, that maybe Chiro-san was wrong about that whole "best bodyguards in the world thing"... yeah. And maybe, just maybe, beautiful bishounen would start raining from the sky.

It really wasn't fair, I couldn't help but thinking as I lay there, helpless to those ninja getting closer and closer. The heroine isn't _supposed_ to die so early in a story. And no one would even mourn me in this world! That asshole Riki would just—

I never even heard the gun. Must have been silenced. All I know is, one minute this ninja fellow is meeting my eyes – and the next second he's laying beside me, blooding trickling from a hole right between his eyes.

Oh... wow... that guy was really dead...

"Ch! Can't you morons even handle _three_ of these hacks?"

My eyes shot up at the voice, so cold and cruel, but a savior too, a real hero right now. Riki stood at the edge of the clearing, barely visible in the dark save for the glinting gun in his hand and the red mark on his forehead, the brilliant crimson kanji symbol that read _"demon_"...

Oh my God.

"Tamaho—"

And then, wouldn't you know it? One of those ninja shot me.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Cho-kakkoi – Literally "super-cool"  
Hentai – Perverted  
Tasukete – Help me  
Hai – Yes  
Oba-chan – Aunt  
Bishounen – Pretty boy  
Cho – Mikako's favorite word is a "new" (for us, anyway) slang term in Japan that's used at the beginning of an adjective to emphasize it, like 'totally' or 'super.'  
**Suffixes  
**-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
**Names Explained!  
**Kasumiya – The kanji for Mikako's last name means "Springtime (Kasu) Constellation (Miya)"  
Kuroyoku Riki – "Dark (Kuro) Greed (Yoku)" "Strength (Riki)"  
Koichiro – it doesn't really _mean_ anything, but the kanji stands for "Blessed (Ko) One Road (Ichiro)"

**Author's Note 11/24/05  
**Hi everyone!  
Did you like this chapter? I know it's a little longer than the first one, but this will probably be the normal length for most of them. If it's too long, let me know and I'll try to shorten them from now on. Oh, and I'm sort of sorry about the cliffhanger... but only "sort of," because cliffhangers are kind of fun (plus I know you'll come back to see what happens, heehee!).

Thank you so much to KittyLynne, Chirikofan, andAyriel! You're my first three reviewers, and you said such nice things too! And here I thought first fanfics were supposed to get blasted with flames, hehe.Thanks for the kind words, you three!

Next time: Is Riki really Tamahome? Mikako will find out, if she can survive the attack first! See you all again soon!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	3. The First Seishi

**Author's Note:** Hi again! I hope the wait for this chapter wasn't too long. That's probably about how long it's going to take me to write the chapters from now on, so please be patient with me! I keep them short so I can update quick, but Christmas is really busy for me. Oh, and I fixed it so that anonymous reviewers **CAN** review now, so please do that if you couldn't before. Thanks to Cheeto for letting me know about that!

* * *

**Chapter Three: The First Seishi (Can I Get an Exchange, Please?)  
**I was okay, I promise. That ninja didn't shoot me anywhere vital, probably because right as he pulled the trigger Riki punched him in the face. That tends to knock your aim off a bit.

Anyway, that ninja got me through the right leg, just above my kneecap. Sparks shot up in front of my eyes and this horrible stab – like a million needles pounding right through me – raced up my leg. I probably screamed. I _know_ I started crying, this sort of uncontrollable, hysterical kind of crying that I'd never in my life felt before. The tears just wouldn't stop coming, and these terrible little yelping noises kept huffing out of my mouth, like I was a wounded dog or something. But the next thing I did was pretty stupid. Instead of just blacking out like a good little girl would, I made the mistake of staying awake and sort of turning my head around to see how bad the injury was.

After staring in shock at the bursts of blood and crystal-white fragments that could only be bone shards, I decided to stare at something more pleasant, like the back of my eyelids. Darkness finally descended, and I collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

oOo

I woke up, slowly at first, like my A-Maid when I plug her into the main system. At first I thought _Maybe I've died. Is the afterlife so bumpy?_ But then my logic hooked itself up, and I thought _That tight-fisted mule couldn't even take me to a MOTEL?_ And then, finally, my pain-circuits hooked up, and all I could really think for several long moments was, _Owwwww..._

I opened my eyes and, lo and behold, I was riding on a pile of blankets in the bed of a truck. A _moving_ truck, I might add. My leg hurt like the Demon Lord's spear, but when I chanced a look I saw that someone had at least been nice enough to bandage and splint it for me. It was a hack-job, I'll admit, but considering my traveling companions it was really the thought that counted. Still hurt like the Demon Lord's spear, though.

"Ohayou, Nee-san."

I heaved myself into a sitting position and looked to the voice. Chiro-san sat next to me, smiling almost warmly. A bit surprised by kindness from criminals, I muttered back, "Ohayou?"

"Ah, so the brat is awake!"

I jerked my head around to find Riki in the driver's seat, yelling his usual string of insults out the back window at us. "Did you sleep well, Your Highness? 'Cause your dear subjects are _starving_! What kinda business you think I'm running here, huh?" He snorted and I seethed. "The nerve of some people, getting shot on the job..."

"Well pardon me for tying myself to the back of the truck so I couldn't run away – oh, wait a minute – that was YOU!" I reached through the open window to smack him across the head, but he avoided my attack without even looking. He was talented, I'd give him that. But then again, I wouldn't expect less from—

Oh, right.

I clapped a hand to my mouth, remembering my discovery from the other night. That symbol – that symbol _definitely_ glowed from Riki's forehead. I couldn't have imagined that... could I? But on the other hand, when I thought about it, it _did_ sort of make sense. His attachment to money, the shape of his face, his natural fighting skills, the way his dark, messy hair – manga dark, I might add, not the anime teal that I'd been expecting – fell across his symbol-covered forehead... yeah, it definitely all spelled out 'Tamahome.'

But, on the _other_ hand, when had Tama ever been such a...?

"You gonna sit there staring or you gonna make me breakfast? I didn't hire you to gaze at my gorgeous figure, you know."

Such a _JERK_!

This time I didn't miss hitting his head, and I even managed to slam it into the steering wheel. Chiro-san chuckled beside me. "Good to see you're feeling okay," he said in that same nice-guy tone. "You took a bad hit there, and just to help Fuyu and Aki, too." I stiffened, my eyes widening about five times their normal size in a silent question, and he must have read my thoughts. "Yeah, both of them are dead. The Kato family doesn't play around. Still, it _was_ nice of you to try."

"Fuyu and Aki," I repeated, staring at my hands and feeling a shiver dance all up and down my spine. "Poor guys. I never even learned their names before now... I'd just been calling them Mr. Sweaty Hands and Blondie..."

Chiro-san clapped a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I could tell he was about to say something to try and make me feel better, but Riki's laughter broke through our quiet sadness. "HA! Sweaty Hands and Blondie! Ain't that just perfect for those stupid bastards!"

My head whipped around to face his back again. I was a little surprised to find a pair of tiny tears in the corners of my eyes. "They trusted you with their lives, and you let them die!" I snarled through the window. "Don't you have _any_ sympathy?"

"Nope, it's _way_ too expensive. And lives are just about as pricy, so you can bet those two knew damn well that they couldn't trust _me_ with them. Besides, you think we really hired those lugs because we _liked_ them? Guys like that, who don't know how to hide their asses when trouble comes or guard a trailer when I order it, they don't deserve one ryo let alone their lousy lives. My partner gets this biz, isn't that right, Ko?"

"Eh? Partner?" I whipped around again – this was really going to kill my neck at this rate – to stare at the smiling Chiro-san. "You mean you two do this... all the time... _together_?"

"Well, Riki's the Boss," he said with a light chuckle, "but I've been with him for about three years on this run, so yeah, I guess you _could_ say we're in this together."

"If they live, I always keep them," Riki explained. "So sad that Ko's the only one smart enough to fake hurt and hide when the Kato bodyguards show up."

"Fake...?" I stared at Chiro-san's arm, realizing that my bandage from before had disappeared and there wasn't a sign of injury. I pointed towards the Incredible Disappearing Wound, stuttering in total confusion. "But... but last night... I... and what...?"

Chiro-san laughed that same innocent laugh. Oh God, I could've killed him right then. "Blood capsules are really handy when things get rough. I'm the voice of this team, not the muscle. There's no sense in losing my life when Riki's can save it."

"So – last night – _you _could have helped those two?"

"Well, I _guess_..." he admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. But it wasn't the kind of embarrassment I wanted – it was more like when your best friend says something stupid and you point it out to them. Like this was just a joke to him. Oh God, I could have _killed_ him! "But if I'd done that I would have died too, and what good would that do? Though, I do admire your spunk – and thanks for taking care of me last night, too. I did my best to return the favor on your leg."

"Just pray you can still make a meal and clean a shirt," Riki shot from his seat. "Or I'll dump your gimpy ass right out of this truck, got it kid?"

I turned my head away from the pair of heartless thieves I'd been unfortunate enough to meet – and, oh, how could Riki _possibly_ be my aunt's Tamahome? – and watched the green hills roll by. The wind kept whipping at my hair, mingling it with a few stray dandelion puffs. The trailer bumped along behind us, but when I looked to the side I had a perfect view of the Kutou countryside. We were still somewhere 'in the middle of nowhere' (a weird concept for a city girl like me), but every once in a while I managed to catch sight of a tiny farmhouse on the horizon, or hear the buzz of an unseen car bumping along some dirt road. The sun was shining brightly above us – a warm spring day, I'd guess – and was only interrupted every so often by a tiny puffball of a cloud darting through the blue expanse. It all would have been very beautiful, and maybe even a little poetic, if I hadn't been so upset. As it was, the landscape just reminded me of how perfect things _should_ be, and how horribly wrong they were. And besides that, the wind was knocking hair into my mouth, and the sun was right in my eyes...

"The border's only a few miles away," Chiro-san interrupted my thoughts. "We'll probably stop to eat once we reach the outskirts of Konan's capital, Eiyou. The supplies are in the trailer," he jerked his head needlessly to the 'merchant ship' rumbling along behind us, "and if you need any help, just ask."

"Hey Ko, you going soft on me?" Riki snarled through the window. "That brat can do her own work, just like you and I can, or she can go without pay. Anyway, you ought to save your energy for _attractive_ woman. Mika-brat back there wouldn't be worth more than a five-minute stint."

I finally lost what little temper I had left and whirled around in my seat, bringing up my uninjured leg and slamming it through the open window. Riki's head went so far into the steering wheel that the horn exploded, sending up a flock of sparrows and jerking the truck just a little to the right. I slammed the window between us and turned back around before he had a chance to unpeel his face and yell something rude at me, keeping my eyes on the road and far away from these rotters. The sooner we reached Konan – and the sooner I could sneak out of this bloody job and find some _real_ seishi – the better.

oOo

I didn't talk the rest of the trip, and pretty much ignored the thieves riding with me. We made it across the border without any troubles and stopped for lunch right on the outskirts of what looked like a little town, but what Chiro-san told me was a suburb of Eiyou. The houses had a strange feel to them, like Chinese architects had tried designing western-style split-levels, but overall it felt like a pretty cozy little place. I even saw a supermarket and some little restaurants, though of course Riki drove right past those. Heaven forbid we have _real_ food for once. We wound up parking in a big lot in front of an old boarded-up warehouse.

Riki hopped out of the truck and all but dragged me from my seat, carting me towards the trailer. "Come on, you lazy brat, I'm starving and the food isn't gonna cook itself!"

I stumbled along after him, wincing whenever I put even a tiny bit of pressure on my injured leg. "Slow down!" I practically ordered. "In case you forgot, I got _shot_ yesterday!"

"So?" Riki dropped his hold on me and flung open the trailer, pointing to some cooking supplies dangling from the wall and a few sacks below that. "Food in twenty minutes, or I take your portion again." I started to say something rude, but he turned and walked off, and I was too busy trying to keep my balance to chase after him.

My stomach rumbled, a painful reminder of the last 24 hours. I needed to work _fast_, or there was no way I'd make it through the day on this empty stomach. I hobbled towards the truck, cursing Riki the entire way. Unfortunately I paid more attention to cursing – I know some _great_ ones in Arabic – than I paid to watching my step and stumbled, hitting my bad leg _hard_ and falling forward.

Someone caught my shoulder and steadied me. I glanced over, eyes widening when I saw Chiro-san holding onto my arm. He held up a cane in his other hand, handing it over as he let me go. "I found this in the back of the trailer last night. I figured you might need it."

"A... arigatou," I answered warily, half-expecting the thing to explode or do something equally notorious, but accepted the gift anyway. To my extreme surprise it held up my weight pretty well – hm... what was Chiro-san after? Gits don't do nice things for nice reasons. They always have a gitty reason for _everything_. I raised an eyebrow and moved to the back of the truck, but Chiro-san beat me to it and grabbed the rice-cooker, water boiler, and food bag.

"You wanted these, right?" he asked, hopping down from the trailer and setting the objects by a pair of outlets situated at the back of the vehicle.

"Yeah, but..."

"What's wrong? You're hurt, right? So you could use some help."

"Well _yeah_, but..."

"Oh, don't worry. Boss just took the truck into town – didn't you hear him peel out? – so he could open up shop. He won't know that I helped you, 'cause neither of us will tell him. So you won't lose any pay."

"Well, okay, but..."

"Mm? Did I forget something?"

"No, it's just..." I stared at Chiro-san's smiling face, the face that I'd really, really wanted to kill earlier that afternoon, and sighed, because it really didn't look like a cho-git's face at all. It almost looked... well, nice. I sighed again. "Why are _you_ being so nice to me?"

"I told you, I admire your spunk. You almost died back there, and for two people you didn't even know, but you tried to give Fuyu and Aki a hand anyway." He chuckled. "That was pretty stupid, you know."

"Thanks?" I grumbled sarcastically, and imagined a little sweatdrop on the side of my head. "I really don't know _what_ I was thinking – I guess this whole thing sorta felt like a game for me until... well..." the images from last night came flying back into my head, and I sat down hard on the edge of the trailer. Wow... I _really_ shouldn't have thought about that. It made me light-headed, sort of, though that's a bad way to describe it. More like... more like that feeling you get after you find out you didn't get into the college you wanted to get into, only worse, because when that happens your parents just yell at you. No one dies, though. Yeah. This was five _thousand_ times worse than that. "Poor Sweaty Hands and Blondie..." I murmured into my hands.

"H-hey..." Chiro-san touched my shoulder. "Sorry to mention it. You acted so much like an action hero last night, I forgot you're just a little girl. But c'mon, don't cry or anything, all right? It's okay, I promise. I don't even believe in Heaven or Hell or that sort of bull, but trust me, those two have _got_ to be in a better place now." He paused and stared at me in confusion, probably because I was staring at him with a cho-confused looked in _my_ eyes. "What? Do I got something on my face or something?"

"You really aren't a jerk, are you?"

"Eh?" he blinked. "Well, I kinda hope not..."

"I mean, that 'nice-guy' act isn't just an act. You're actually a nice guy."

Chiro-san blushed, which almost looked cute. "Well sure I'm a _nice_ guy. I mean, it's not like I wanted Fuyu and Aki to die. I'm just a coward, see. I really _couldn't_ do anything, in the end."

"I don't get it," I said, standing slowly and rummaging through the cooking sack while Chiro-san plugged in the cooker and boiler. Ha, power outlets. How quaint. "How did a nice guy wind up in Riki's group – and as his partner, even? That stingy slime ball would hit a cat with a brick if he got money off it."

"Well that's just it, see. You're missing the whole point of business in Konan."

"I am?"

"Sure. Ruthlessness is the key in a city overrun with gangs and crime lords. If you aren't rich, then you'd better be ready to fight tooth and claw for a decent job, _especially_ in the trade business. That's why I failed so bad on my own. The gangs just kept demanding more profit for protection, and... anyway, Riki was hiring, so I took up with him. I've got a good business mind, you know, and I'm great with customers, but I can't take the dangers like he can."

"But there's gotta be _someone_ in Konan who's a tough businessman _and_ not a total scumbag!" I argued, dumping a handful of carrots and some kind of herb into the water boiler and praying they'd taste okay together.

"But you're missing the point again." Chiro-san packed some rice down into the cooker and shut the lid, sitting back and staring forward somewhat thoughtfully. "No one _wants_ a coward in our world. A rich farm gal like you wouldn't get it, _especially_ one from good ol' Kutou, but, well... When Riki hired me, he kept me on right off 'cause I was so good with people. You can probably imagine that he's not the best at keeping customers around. So we had great business for a couple months. But then the stocks ran low, so me and Riki and two others headed to the back lands – Eiyou's slums, see – for some bartering on the market."

"Not the legal one, I guess."

"Too much of a hassle, and the prices are a bitch in this inflation," he agreed with a smile. "Anyway, we ran into trouble and had to beat it out of there, middle of the night and everything. Apparently Riki wouldn't pay the prices they wanted, and, uh... expressed his distaste by commenting on the price _he_ paid for the dealer's mother the night before."

I snorted out a laugh in spite of myself. "That sounds about like Riki, the little jerk."

"Now you see why he needs me around. Anyway, so Riki was holding them off and the three of us were cutting out down the alleys, trying not to trip all over each other in the dark. A few of the dealer's boys got past Riki and chased after us – and _shot_ after us, too. One of the bullets clipped my ear, and I freaked out so bad that I lost my balance, tripped on Nana's shoe and hit the deck.

"And I just sorta... stayed there. The others went right past me, and the gang's brats, too – I could see 'em and everything, because right then the moon decided to sneak out behind a cloud, giving the gang a perfect view – and I watched my pals get it, right there. Only _they_ weren't playing opossum like me. I thought they were gonna double back and make sure I was dead, and I'd just about decided to pass out, I was so scared, but then Riki showed up and took care of 'em right quick. Then he looked past their corpses, towards Nana and Hachi, dead as dust, then back towards me – and I was staring up right at him, didn't even try to pretend like I was _really_ hurt – with these... these killer's eyes. Scariest thing I ever saw.

"'You could've saved them,' he said. 'You had a gun, right? You didn't lose that too, right?'

"'Yeah,' I said. 'I had a gun.'

"'But you let them die.'

"'Yeah,' I said again.

"'Why?' he asked, with that deadly look still in his eyes, like what you'd think a serial killer would look like, only about ten times worse. 'Why didn't you do anything?'

"And I couldn't think of anything, not under _that _stare. So all I said was, 'I didn't want to die.' And I was all ready to get it, too. I figured he'd kill me for sure, or at least fire me, which was as good as death anyway in _those_ streets.

"But then something crazy happened. Riki didn't shoot me, or fire me, or even cuss at me or hit me. That killer's light left his eyes, and he just laughed and said, 'Get back to the truck, Ko. You just made partner and about tripled your pay.'

"Later, when we'd gotten back to the shop, I asked him why. He said, 'You know when you're valuable. In a back alley, in the middle of the night, with two killers on your tail and a semi-automatic in your hand... that isn't the time. The others were the same, but they were stupid and didn't get that. What's the use of dying when you can keep earning your keep?' Then he tossed me my paycheck and some food – real food, not just homemade garbage – and said, 'You sell the goods when we're in town, and run like hell when we're not, and Ko, we'll make out all right.' So I do. And we have."

Chiro-san chuckled, turning his eyes towards the setting sun. "Riki's the only person I've ever met to understand strengths and weaknesses like that. And he's the only person in the world who's ever said I was worth a damn. He really _gets _the value of people, the same way he gets the value of merchandise. Even cowards like me, even in a world like this, have a use sometimes. He pays well too, you know, for all his talk. Someone like that's hard to find anymore."

I'd been silent throughout his story, but now I couldn't help but scowl. "But his 'business' is just robbery, and he treats you like dirt! He might understand your value, but it's like you said: he understands it in the same way he understands merchandise, and he'd trade you in or throw you out just _like_ merchandise." Chiro-san chuckled again, and I thought I could probably hit him again, too. Why couldn't he _understand_ me? "That scumbag was going to let you die back there, and not even care about it!"

"Sure," Chiro-san agreed. "And I was going to let him die out there, and not even care about it, if it'd save my own skin. That's what this whole 'partnership' is about. Mutual profit for mutual gains, and if one side stops making a gain, that side doesn't get a profit. End of story."

I shuddered and looked away. "Some partnership."

"Better than most, these days."

I was about to ask what he always meant by 'these days' – things couldn't really be as bad as he made them out to be – but my eyes wandered to the boiler at that moment and I noticed that I'd dumped about a pound of bean sprouts into the dark broth. "Bloody...!" I yelped, diving my hand in to dig them out and nearly burning off my fingers in the process. Chiro-san laughed behind me. I scowled and shook out my stinging hand. "Oh, hush. It's your fault for distracting me with your ruddy story."

"Distracting you? Cooking is your only _real_ job," Chiro-san said with a wink. "If you can't even do _that_ without messing up, Riki will eat _you_ for dinner instead of your burned meal."

I shivered again. "Ugh! Don't say stuff like that."

"Why not?"

"I get the feeling he _would_, the rotten demon...!" I stopped, because the word 'demon' had brought me sharply back to the ultimate source of my problems. It was all well and good hearing about Chiro-san, but _Riki_ was the potential seishi around here, not the nice-guy coward sitting next to me. I needed to find that tight-fisted jerk and ask him a few questions about himself, to find out if that mark really _had_ been real, or if it was just part of my imagination. Of course, I had no idea what I'd do after that... But oh, didn't Chiro-san say Riki had gone into town? There was no telling when he'd be back, and by then I might get so wrapped up in cooking or trying to get clean that I'd forget again. Besides, he probably wouldn't tell me anything, the filthy blighter. What could I...?

My eyes slid across towards Chiro-san, and a tiny smile lit up my face. Time to go a-sleuthing, as Hoshi would say.

"Ne, Chiro-san..."

"The rice is burning," he remarked calmly.

"GAH!" I cried again and dove forward once more, snatching out the plug and sending a jolt through my injured leg in the process. I said a few choice words, then glanced up at Chiro-san, who was smiling sweetly beside me. "You're a rotten demon too, you know that? You could've unplugged it yourself."

"But that way was a lot more entertaining. Better that TV, even."

I huffed and glared at him, but that nice-guy smile was hard to be angry at for very long. No wonder he was so good at selling stuff. Bah. I was getting off-topic again. Stay focused, Mikako! You'll never make a good Miko if you can't do that. "Listen, Chiro-san, you've been with Riki for a while, right? Have you ever seen a, well... a 'demon' mark on his forehead?"

He blinked, then flashed a strained smile. "Oh, so you noticed that last night, eh?"

"Too bad. I guess I'll just have to kill you now."

I whirled around and found myself staring up at Riki's wicked eyes. Even if he was possibly my seishi, and even if I knew he wouldn't really hit me – the Goddess knew I'd given him plenty of chances to do it – I damn near collapsed under that merciless grin. Now I understood what Chiro-san meant by 'eyes of a serial killer.' Brr, that was a chilly look! "B... back so soon?" I asked, trying to fake like I _wasn't_ about to wet myself.

"I drive fast." He reached forward, and for a second I thought he might strangle me or something, he looked so dangerous – but at the last second he pinged the center of my forehead with his finger and flashed me a nasty grin. "Hm, I'm feeling merciful today, and you _almost_ look cute when you get all scared like that. So if the food tastes good, I _won't_ kill you. Deal?"

I stared at him, unsure what to say as he snatched up a spoon and dipped it into my simmering soup (if you want to call it 'soup'). He made some comment about how it tasted like dog food, but he grabbed a pair of bowls out of the back anyway, filled one with rice and the other to the brim with the stew stuff, and plopped down on the back of the trailer next to Chiro-san and me. We both watched him for several minutes as he dove into the meal, eating it like he was about to starve to death. I took a chance and dipped my own finger into the soup, gave it a taste – and couldn't help but cry out in delight. "Omigod! Chiro-san, taste this! This is _cho-oishii_! I made something _good_ out of carrots, onion broth, herbs and bean sprouts! How _did_ I become so bloody amazing?"

"It's not bad," Riki offered.

"You really don't know how to give a compliment, do you?" I countered with a crooked smile.

"Nope, they're too expensive." He shot me an accusing glare out of the corner of his eye. "And besides, it's not like you did it alone. I know Ko helped you."

"Oh, no, I didn't do a thing!" Chiro-san lied through his teeth. "I just kept her company – told her a little story..."

"What? The one about the brat that 'disappeared' 'cause she was too damn nosy?" His eyes shot back over to mine again, only this time they weren't so nice, and I couldn't help but shiver once more. "Yeah, you saw the symbol. So what? You gonna run around Eiyou telling people about it? Think you can make some money off me? 'Come one come all, come see a legendary seishi,' sort of thing?"

"What? I never...!" Not everyone's as greedy as _you_, you know!

"'Cause you can forget about it," he half-snarled. "I'm no one's sideshow, got it kid? And I'm sure as hell not gonna advertise myself over some damned myth. Stupid legend probably doesn't even exist, anyway."

"Then how do you explain the mark?" I demanded. "I mean, that right there says the legend is real! And – and what happens when the Miko shows up? How's she going to find you if you keep hiding the fact that you're a seishi?"

"The Miko?" Riki snorted, chomping down on a bite of rice and glaring hard at me. "I'm no one's seishi. I do what _I_ want. End of story. Now, maybe if this Miko was a sweet little broad with a slammin' body, or some rich bitch who could pay me out the nose, I might consider it, but I've got better things to do than run around fulfilling legends."

"But don't you care about Konan?" I pressed, desperate to tell him my true identity and equally afraid to do it. "Don't you want the eternal peace promised by Suzaku?"

Riki glared at me, and there was so much blazing hatred behind that stare, and so much venom in his words, that I almost felt sorry for him, for the tiniest second. "Suzaku can burn in hell, for all I care, and he can take his Miko with him. I've heard the legends, kid, and I know damn well that the first Miko didn't give Konan _shit_. Or haven't you read the papers recently? Hell, haven't you read the papers in the last _four centuries_? Hah! Eternal peace. What a goddamned joke _that_ turned out to be!"

I opened my mouth to argue again, but gave it up. "You don't get it at all," I murmured into my own bowl of soup.

"No, I don't. I don't get anything that I can't see, touch, and pay for. You _show_ me a Miko, Mikako, and then _maybe_ I'll show you a seishi who cares. But until then, you shut the hell up about this legend bullshit, got it? And you don't _ever_ mention my symbol again, not with me or Chiro-san, and _especially_ not with anyone else. Attention like that is the last thing I need."

He slurped down the last of his soup and set down his bowl. Riki stood, cracking his back and hopping around the parking lot a few paces, as if he were getting warmed up for something. Chiro-san and I kept eating our food in silence, watching him in mild curiosity and – in my case – in extreme disappointment. My seishi was a scumbag, and what's more, he didn't even _want_ to be more than a scumbag. This couldn't possibly be _happening_... Only that was just it. This _couldn't_ be happening. There _had_ to be some kind of a reason for this. Maybe it was all an act. The world had made him bitter, but underneath that, he was really a good guy, right? I mean, Miaka's Tamahome couldn't _really_ be _this_ Tamahome... could it?

"Finish eating, you two, and hurry up about it," Riki said suddenly, turning from his little exercise routine. "We're heading to a business meeting in about thirty minutes, and you two still need to get back to the shop and get cleaned up. You look like something a cat spit up."

"Well pardon me for being too cheap to rent a hotel room – oh wait, that was you _again_!" I snapped, but Chiro-san skipped the argument and just said, "Business meeting? Who are we meeting with so soon?"

Riki's teeth glinted in the evening sunlight and his eyes sparkled with the promise of cash on the horizon. "Word of Kuroyoku's Traveling Market moves faster than we thought. My favorite customer in the world came to call again, Chiro-san, and he wants only the finest jewels money can buy. The three of us are about to have a meeting with the Emperor."

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Ohayou – Good morning (informal)  
Ryo – the money system in Konan (like dollars or yen)  
Arigatou – Thanks (informal)  
Manga – Japanese Comic Books  
Miko – Priestess  
Cho-oishii – Really delicious  
Seishi – Celestial Warrior  
Cho – Once again, Mikako's favorite word is a "new" (for us, anyway) slang term in Japan that's used at the beginning of an adjective to emphasize it, like 'totally' or 'super.'  
**Suffixes  
**-san: Mrs., Mr., Miss  
**Names Explained!  
**Fuyu (冬)– Winter  
Aki (秋)– Fall  
Nana (七) – Seven  
Hachi (八)– Eight  
(Yeah I took the easy way out. They're just peon characters anyway!)

**Author's Note 12/5/05  
**Hi everyone!  
How was this chapter? Did you all enjoy it? I know there wasn't a ton of action or comedy this time, but I wanted to get some things explained. The story is getting a little more serious now, and probably will do that bit by bit as the fanfic goes on. Don't worry though, Mikako's too funny of a narrator to let things get _really_ heavy.

Thanks a bunch to KittyLynne, Chirikofan, and Ayriel for reviewing again, and thanks to Cheeto for adding her name to my reviewers, too! I hope to see you guys again for this chapter, your reviews are just so wonderful!

Next Time: The Konan palace is even more dangerous than the Kato farmlands! Can Mikako survive long enough to find another seishi? Will she even _want_ to? See you all again soon!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	4. Chirosan

**Authors Note: **Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I was really busy over Christmas break. I actually haven't _finished_ Chapter 4 even, not really, but it was getting long so I decided to split it so you all could read something now instead of 2 weeks from now. So here it is, and I hope you like it!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Chiro-san  
**"We're not _really_ meeting the Emperor, you know."

I glanced up from the side of the truck, where I'd been half-watching the turn-of-the-century-style houses go sailing by and half-sleeping my way into the city. We were on our way back to Riki's shop so Chiro-san and I could take a bath and get some clean clothes. Apparently Riki could allow us to waste some of his precious time because it made the business look better. I definitely wasn't complaining: I would've killed for a bath at that point.

I frowned slightly at Chiro-san, surprised by his sudden comment. "We aren't meeting the Emperor? Then why does Riki want us to get all niced up?"

"You _don't_ want a few minutes to relax?"

He literally meant a _few_ minutes, by the way – Riki'd already told us that, once we arrived at the shop, we'd each have approximately five minutes to bathe and change before we'd be off again. "That's not it at all, but what's all the fuss about if we're not even having this meeting?"

"Well, it's not the Emperor per se, but we _are_ going to the palace and selling to his Majesty. We've never personally met the guy, but our business has a nice deal going with His Highness Meigiri V. He loves his jewels, you see, and we provide 'em cheaper than even _he_ can get. So he looks away from our 'shady deals' and we give him nice goods at unbelievable prices."

I frowned and buried my head in my arms again. "Great, so the Emperor's a sleazeball, too."

Chiro-san laughed. "You didn't really think the gangs could run the streets _without_ the government's turn-the-other-cheek attitude, did you?"

I heaved a sigh. Were things ever going to start getting fun or romantic around here? Granted, Chiro-san was an all right guy, but he wasn't exactly the knight on a white stallion that I'd been expecting. And Riki... my teeth ground together at the thought of the jerk in the front seat, singing along to some lame punk song and acting like Chiro-san and I didn't exist. That no-good tight-fisted scummy piece of...

It's probably best if I don't even get _started_ on Riki.

"Though, to be fair," Chiro-san spoke up again, interrupting my little inner monologue, "His Highness really doesn't have that much to do with the nation these days. Konan's mostly run by the Council of Twelve, the Emperor's advisors."

"Lemme guess, they're as rotten as Riki?"

"Worse," Chiro-san admitted. "Boss might not be the nicest guy around, but he still has scruples. I mean, he hasn't tried to take advantage of you or anything."

"And we'll be meeting these advisor chaps today, right?"

"A couple of them, yes."

"Lovely," I jerked my head towards the front of the truck. "Oi, Almighty Jerk of Konan! If the palace is going to be such an unfriendly place and I'm not even going to meet His Glorious Majesty Sleazeball V, why am I coming with you?"

Riki sniggered. "Ko didn't tell you?"

It took me a minute to remember that "Ko" was Riki's nickname for Koichiro – my Chiro-san. "Eh? Tell me what?" I glared at Chiro-san. "Tell me _what_?"

"Ano..."

Chiro-san looked at the bed of the truck innocently, so Riki just laughed and answered for him. "As much as I hate to admit it, we three are a team now, got it? So every part of the team has to work like a nice little unit of a well-oiled machine. I keep the unit safe, Chiro-san deals with all that annoying bargaining work, and _you_ get to be the eye candy."

My eyebrow twitched. "Define 'eye candy,' and be careful with your choice of words."

"Eye Candy. Noun. One who is proverbial candy for the eyes of some proverbial 'sleazeballs,' as you like to call them. Or, to put it in basic Japanese," he turned around in his seat long enough to shoot a positively sadistic grin at me, "the Council of Twelve will stare at your ass, so Ko and I can make more cash."

I wanted to rip his head off right then and there, but since he was driving the van I settled for kicking him square in his cackling face.

And _this_ jerk was supposed to be my seishi? Ugh!

oOo

About fifteen minutes later I lay soaking in just about the best bath of my life, though my thoughts couldn't quite reach the height of my physical bliss. I kept thinking about everything that had happened so far, and how mixed up it all felt. I had been captured by perverts, then saved only to find out that my savior was a _bigger_ jerk than the original perverts – and that the perverts worked _for_ him. Then I'd been attacked, shot in the leg, learned that my gitty employer (and I use the term loosely) was actually Tamahome, but that he was too pissed at the gods to even _want_ to help Konan, and now he was taking me on a trip to meet the Emperor's advisors who were the biggest scumbags of them all, and…

I had to stop. My head was starting to hurt.

It wasn't even so much the pain in my leg or Tamahome's "business" or even his reluctance to claim his seishi title. Chiro-san kept saying how rough things were, and it seemed like running an honest business was just about impossible anymore. So fine. But why the hostility, the total lack of pity for anyone and anything? Yes, Tamahome had been a skinflint, but at least he'd been a _nice _skinflint! And he'd had a good reason, too.

I popped my head out of the bath water, eyes widening. Wait. Maybe that was it. Maybe Riki had a family to support somewhere! That _had_ to be it! And he'd left home to try to help them, but the world had been too cruel, so he'd had to dirty his hands a bit… and oh, little Chise was sick with the bird flu and Maki's lungs didn't work quite right…

"Mm… POOR RIKI!" I cried, caught up in the fantasy.

"Ano… Mikako?" Chiro-san's perplexed voice called through the door. "Are you okay? I heard shouting."

I blushed. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine."

"That's good. I brought you some clean clothes from the store downstairs. Do you want me to leave them out here, or…?"

I almost offered to grab them now, but remember that my bandaged leg currently rested on the tub's outer rim. Very awkward, and it was a total pain to try to move around like that. Well, it was _just_ Chiro-san. "Go ahead and bring them in. You can set them on a chair or something."

"N…nani!" he practically shrieked. "B-but aren't you… I mean, you're – and I'm – so I just—"

I blinked, then suddenly realized the problem. I couldn't help but laugh at these quaint little 20th-century quirks. "C'mon Chiro-san, its just me. I mean maybe if I were _attracted_ to you it might be a little embarrassing, but we're like brother and sister now." I grimaced. "I hope that doesn't make Riki our abusive father."

Chiro-san choked on his words for a few moments, then seemed to find his voice and grumbled, "Well it's good to know that you have no interest in me whatsoever, but _you're _a cute girl, and I'm just a guy you know. _Any_ woman… like _that_… is pretty much a turn-on in my book."

"Aww, and you're too shy to satisfy your carnal desires?" I giggled. "That's cho-kawaii." I swear I could _hear_ him blushing, so I said, "Calm down, hun. Just leave them outside the door, I'll pick them up when I'm done."

_Bee-be-bee-be-bee-bee-bee…_

I shot a death glare at the alarm clock sitting next to the tub – Riki's way of making sure neither of us "loafed" – and wished the cheap bugger could've granted me a few more minutes. "And I guess I'm done."

Chiro-san chuckled. "You can take some extra minutes if you want. I only need a few to get cleaned up. Besides, you deserve it."

I sighed and sunk deeper in the tub. Hey, when someone is generous, my policy is to always accept without question, _especially_ after I've been shot in the leg. Okay, that's only happened to me once, but still. My point is: screw etiquette. "Arigatou, Chiro-san. You're an absolute prince."

"Why do you call me Chiro-san?"

"It's the name of my favorite manga character from _Castle Midnight_. Besides, Ko-i-chi-ro-san is _way_ too much of a mouthful."

"Well, so is Mikako-san."

"Then give me a nickname," I retorted, watching as two little soap bubbles journeyed across the bath water. I put my bets on Number 2 to reach the other side first – that little guy had character.

"A nickname? Like what?"

"Hm…" I tore my attention away from the bubble race for a moment. "Well, there's Mi-chan – but only my family really uses that… and of course Hoshi calls me Miko," I chuckled, "but that would cause some confusion around here."

"Why's that?"

"Because people might start thinking you called me that because I was _the_ Miko."

"Well, you are, aren't you?"

My head hit the back of the tub and the two racing bubbles popped out of existence as my arms flailed to regain control. Poor little guys, they'd almost made it to the far side, too. "N… nani? What in Buddha's name would make you say that?"

Chiro-san laughed again, and once more I thought that I really hated that nice-guy laugh. No one so slippery should be able to laugh like that. "No offense, but it was pretty obvious. Your clothes are a little _too_ bizarre, and even sheltered farm girls know more about current events than you. But on the other hand, you know all about the seishi, like you'd taken some serious Ancient History classes. I just put the two pieces together, s'all."

I heaved myself from the bathtub, reaching for a dry towel and sighing. Chiro-san definitely had me on that. "I don't _know_ if I'm a miko," I admitted somewhat grudgingly. "But you're right: I don't come from this world. All I know about Konan is what I learned in the family stories. And now I'm trying to figure out where to go next, or whether Suzaku even wants me, or…"

"Suzaku wants you," Chiro-san said, voice full of certainty. "He definitely wants you."

"Oh?" I cocked an eyebrow and, after wrapping the plushie green towel around my – ah-hem – maidenly figure, I opened the door to face my companion. "And how, O Master Detective, do you know that?"

He handed over the change of clothes and leaned back against the wall, smiling sort of… sort of happily, and not in his usual, "I'm so nice and cheerful" way – he really looked happy. I guess it knocked me back a couple of steps because, until I saw that smile, I hadn't even noticed how _un_happy he usually looked. He wore it so naturally that you never realized.

"I have a couple of reasons, see, and I've been working them out in my head all trip back. The first thing I figure is, who was one of the first people you met? My boss, the Suzaku seishi Tamahome. In this wide world, coincidences like that are pretty slim. The second thing, legend talks about how a miko shows up when the country really needs her. We're two inches from a war and struggling with poverty and famine – isn't a much better time than now. Third thing is, Mikako…" he rubbed at his nose and almost blushed. He really was kind of cute like that, all embarrassed and shy. "Well, its more a feeling anyway, but when you're around Boss he seems... nicer, we'll say. More at peace."

I snorted and snatched the offered clothes. "If that's Riki nice, I tremble at Riki the prig."

I started to head back into the bathroom to change, but something in Chiro-san's voice stopped me. Something desperate, almost. Like he was begging me for something he couldn't quite say and I couldn't quite understand. "You don't understand. It's okay. I wouldn't expect you to. But he never… he protected you, you know, from the Kato gang. Three guys there and he chose to attack the one firing at you. And tonight at dinner, that roundabout compliment… plus, when most people see his symbol, he threatens them with death and then kicks them out of the operation – no pay or nothing. But not you, Mikako. Boss… likes you."

"He likes you, too," I said, slipping into the bathroom again and studying Chiro-san's choice of clothing. He'd picked out a cute little blue tank top with some tiny ruffles on the sleeves and a knee-length, floral-patterned skirt. Not exactly my normal choice of clothes – skirts were kind of a pain – but I'd deal.

"It's different for me. I'm valuable to him. Your cooking is good, but it's not 'valuable' good. _And_ he's taking you with us to the palace."

"Because the Council's full of perverts!" I snapped back.

"Yeah, but..." Silence filled the hall for a second, and I thought maybe he'd given up. But then, "He never looked at _me_ like that. When he flicked your nose, for half a second he... the most hardened, _bitter_ man I've ever met actually _smiled_, and like he really meant it, too. He's softer around the edges with you here, like maybe he's forgetting the last twenty-two years of his life. And I sorta think, well, that if you can get Boss to forget a little, than maybe you can get Konan to forget the last five hundred years of its life, too."

I frowned, slipping on the long skirt and staring at myself in the steamy mirror. I only _kind of_ remembered the smile Chiro-san was talking about, and to be honest I don't remember it being all that significant. Truth is, what I _really_ remembered was Chiro-san's smile, just a second ago, the one that said _"everything is really going to get better." _How could I possibly let that smile down? I stuffed my few possessions into the pocket of my skirt – a candy bar, a multi-purpose pocket laser from my Uncle Taki, and my Playstation Mini – and opened the bathroom door again, flashing Chiro-san a small, uncertain smile of my own. "I don't want to promise anything, Chiro-san, but for the first time since I got here, I sort of hope that I really _am_ the Suzaku no Miko. And if I am, I'll make Konan smile again, if only for your sake."

A loud pounding echoed through the floor, followed by Riki's oh-so-pleasant voice from downstairs. "Hey, Your Royal Highness! Stop wasting money and get down here! I wanna see if you look enough like a woman for me to risk taking your gimpy ass to the palace!"

I ground my teeth so loud even Chiro-san jumped. I stormed off down the hallway, shouting back as I went:

"But I will _never_ do it for his sake, you hear me Chiro-san? NEVER!"

oOo

The trip to the palace went relatively well, especially when you considered my traveling companions. Chiro-san kept telling me I looked great in 'normal' clothes, asking if my leg was okay, and basically treating me like fussy royalty. Riki, on the other, much more annoying hand, had deemed me 'acceptable to be seen in public,' but kept complaining about my 'weird hair.' "Only rebels dye their hair," he grumbled. "But then again, I guess I shouldn't expect any less from some runaway rich kid, huh?"

I _still_ don't know what all the fuss was about. Lots of people mess with their hair, even Ueda-kun has that greenish tint, and anyway my red highlights are cho-conservative – I only dyed the tips of my bangs, the ones that frame my face to my chin. And so what if I keep the back cropped short? It's _easier_ that way, dammit.

So yeah, aside from the usual bickering, things went well. And I was even able to see more of the city at night – all lit up with blinking billboards and bright store fronts, and these great big skyscrapers almost touching the faraway sky. I felt like I was in an old Jackie Chan movie, to be honest. It reminded me of my dad. He was a nut for those classic kung fu specials. Despite Riki and Chiro-san's complains, I couldn't help but think that Konan looked all right to me. The old-fashioned market stalls blended perfectly with the high-rise shopping centers behind them, and everyone bustling through the streets seemed well-off and happy enough.

But that was only at first glance. When I looked again – really _looked_ instead of just glancing around like a tourist – I noticed ominous figures hovering at every alleyway. Running families, gossiping teens, and even cuddling couples winced whenever they moved past the figures, and it felt like everyone kept looking over their shoulders. And, when I took a look at those 'happy faces' I realized their happy was just like Chiro-san's: strained to the point of snapping. It fit their faces so well that the misery wasn't even noticeable at first. Everyone just seemed... _used_ to it, I guess. I frowned and leaned my head against the side of the truck, trying to lose myself in the K-Rock blaring from the front seat. The singer's voice had that nasty little whine to it that indicated an emo band – I stuck out my tongue and sunk down farther.

"Where the heck is the stupid palace?" I grumbled, at the same time Chiro-san announced, "Here we are."

I raised myself into a sitting position and followed his gaze, blinking in wonder as the city suddenly gave way to the great walls that surrounded the Konan palace. I felt like I'd stepped into a time machine, and I finally realized that my Oba-chan's world and the one I had been thrust into were, though almost painfully different, still very much the same. The red-tiled roofs of the palace's many buildings rose above the wall, dotted with golden Suzaku status and engraved images of previous Emperors. The years – and several renovation jobs, no doubt – had been kind to the ancient structure. Even if the people and nation had changed, Konan still remained mindful of its glorious history. I smiled. This palace, still shining in the midst of its country's uncertain future, was proof that Konan wasn't lost yet. The people still lived, and so did the Empire. For a moment I felt honest excitement rising up to greet me – I was going to _help_ this world, just like Aunt Miaka!

My honest excitement only lasted for a moment, though, because Riki decided to open his flapping mouth. That never leads to good things, in case you haven't noticed. "Okay kids, have fun playing while I'm gone," he said, jerking us into a side street and nearly throwing Chiro-san and I out of the truck in the process. He parked us along one of the buildings that stood between the palace and the rest of the city – I was just able to make out a few brightly lit windows from the giant structure, probably coming from the guard towers in front. Riki hopped out of the front seat, cracking his back and grinning at us. "Try not to get killed while I'm gone, okay? Your blood would ruin the jewels' value."

I glanced around the darkened street, then up at him. "Where are _you_ going?"

"To speak with the Gatekeepers, of course. If we drove the truck up to the doors, they'd shoot us on sight." He threw me a wink. "You'd be surprised how many people want to see the palace go up in flames, and after we worked so hard to keep it pretty for all these years, too. The guards can't be too careful. I'll just tell 'em who I am and the number in my party, then we'll get someone out here to search the truck for explosives and into the palace we go." He laughed and poked my nose again, which pissed me off for some reason. "Don't be scared little Mikako, Riki-san'll be back soon to keep your sorry ass alive."

"I don't _need_ you to...!" I spluttered, but he totally ignored me and disappeared into the night. I pouted into my ruffled sleeves. "Stupid jerk."

Chiro-san chuckled. "He won't take long." He hopped out of the back of the truck, offering me a hand down and glancing around a little nervously. "It's just as well. The palace boulevard is slightly safer than the rest of the Inner City, but not by much."

I tensed. "And what exactly does _that_ mean, my darling Chiro-san?"

"Gangs, of course," he said with a shrug. "You saw those guys lurking on the street corners, didn't you? They run the downtown store front, 'cept for the Boss's shop, and everybody knows it. Of course, not _all_ of them are with the mob. Every fifth guy or so is a palace spy, sent out to keep the city under control. You even _whisper_ a nasty comment about the Emperor or his Council and you're spirited away, Suzaku knows to where."

"You really know how to make a girl feel at ease, you know that?" I grumbled, feeling cruddier by the second.

Chiro-san frowned like I'd hurt his feelings. Argh, why did he have to look so forgivably cute like that? "I'm just telling you the truth, Miko-sama. I don't want you to be caught off-guard in this city. It's nasty enough when you're _prepared_."

"Well thanks, but now I'm so _on_ my guard I'll probably have a stroke if a bird squawks." I scowled, realizing what he'd just said. "And don't call me Miko-sama, all right? Mika or Mika-chan is fine, but if you treat me like royalty people will get suspicious."

"So?"

"Do you want Riki to know his cook might make him leave his business to summon a god he doesn't even believe in?"

Chiro-san winced. "Point taken."

I set my chin in my hands, staring hard into the bright inner city night. "Ne, Chiro-san? Why _is_ Riki so bitter about this country and Suzaku? He has a reason, right?" I thought about my earlier fantasy and almost burst into tears right there. "I hope Maki isn't cold tonight..."

"Who?"

"Never mind."

Chiro-san frowned, leaning back against the pick-up truck. "I don't really know much about the Boss. We have a strict 'don't ask don't tell' policy on the streets, especially in the downtown district. All I can really tell you is that he's twenty-two years old, like I said before, and he makes it out like every single minute of those twenty-two years was a struggle. Judging by his accent, he probably grew up in the West District, so it's not surprising. It's hell over there, even more than it is downtown."

I sighed. It looked like I'd have to ask Riki himself all these touchy-feely questions. He'd probably kill me before I'd gotten the third word out. "What about you, Chiro-san? Do you have any family?"

"A brother, once upon a time," he answered lightly. "But he got mixed up in some nasty gang fights. I haven't seen him since." He shrugged. "He's probably dead."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? He's not fighting anymore stupid territory wars, or selling stolen products for drug money, or holding down some poor girl while his buddies have their way with her anymore, is he?" I stared at him, and he offered me a crooked grin. "I loved my brother, but he was one _hell_ of an idiot. Being an idiot only leads to trouble around here. That's why I'm just a coward. It's safer."

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes – where _was_ Riki, anyway? – until I finally raised enough courage to say, "Ne, Chiro-san?"

"Mm?"

"If I'm the Suzaku no Miko, I'll save a wish for you, okay? A Suzaku Special for one of the only guys in Konan who _isn't_ a total jerk."

Chiro-san chuckled again. "That's nice of you, Mika, but I'd probably just waste it on something for the Boss. So save it for something _really_ important."

"You really like that prat, don't you?"

"It's nice having a brother again. And this one even has brains," he forced a weak laugh. I thought I might cry, it was so sad.

"Chiro-san, listen..."

Something crunched in the nearby alleyway, and both of our heads jerked up at the noise. A tremor tore its way through Chiro-san's body, and he didn't even try hiding the quiver in his voice as he said, "Oh, shit."

Five figures stepped from the alleyway and into the streetlight, all lanky, younger guys with buzzed heads and more tattoos than seemed legal. The one at the front sported about twelve different rings in his ears and lip alone, and kept tossing a nice little shanking knife back and forth between his hands. I giggled nervously. "I don't suppose this is our entourage from the palace?"

"Lurker gang," Chiro-san snarled.

"Eh?"

"They hover around the palace and leech off the magistrates and merchants who leave their things unguarded."

"Sorta like us?"

"Sorta like us."

Damn it, where was Riki when we actually _needed_ him?

"Ho, is that who I think it is?" the head of the lurker gang snarled, still playing with his knife. "Little Koichiro, and without Uncle Riki to hide behind? This must be our lucky day, boys."

"Looks like he's got someone new taking care of him," another said with a laugh. "A pretty little lady, this time. Whatsa matter, Ko-chan? Riki didn't like ya suckin' on his tits all the time, so he gave you an actual _woman_ to hang on to?"

Chiro-san's eyes narrowed and his cheeks burned red in the lamplight, but he kept his mouth snapped shut. He shook visibly, though I could see his hands grappling around in the truck bed for a handgun.

"Listen boys, we don't have time to play," I responded as coolly as possible, trying to buy us some time. "Riki's right around the corner, in case you prigs didn't notice his presence, so now might be a good time to scram if you value your limbs." Wow, but I was good at bluffing. Maybe Hoshi's theatrical skills had rubbed off on me.

"Ho, did the little lady tell us off?" the leader asked with a taunting smirk. "Can't even speak for yourself anymore, eh Ko-chan?"

"I d-don't need t-to speak to ba-bastards like y-you." Boy, he shook so bad he could barely _hold_ a gun, much less pull the trigger of one. "Y-you heard her, s-so b-b-beat it b-before the B-Boss g-gets back."

"Hey, it does talk! And here I thought it just fetched for Riki like a good little puppy. Guess Riki taught it to speak, too. What other tricks d'you know, Ko-chan?"

"Mika, get out of here," Chiro-san muttered under his breath, keeping his eyes glued on the advancing thugs. His hands still scrambled for that stupid weapon, wherever it was hiding. "Th-these guys are b-bad news, understand? Th-they won't just st-steal f-from us, especially s-since you're here. They'll—"

One of them lunged forward and snatched up my wrist. "Well sweetheart, it just so happens that your precious Riki is a little busy right now. We've sent almost twenty guys against him, and even if he _doesn't_ get slashed to ribbons I guarantee he won't be hurrying back anytime soon." He kissed the back of my hand in an almost chivalric fashion, but the hungry light in his eyes told another story. "So sit back and let's have some fun, okay baby?"

He and the others cackled uproariously, but I cut the laughter short when I swung out my free hand and punched Mr. Grabby in the face. "Hands off, asshole!" I snapped. He released his hold just enough for me to struggle free and scramble away, closer to Chiro-san. "You think some third-class criminals can stop _Riki_? I'm telling you, he'll be here any second, and then we'll see how many jewels you can steal!"

"Mika, p-please run," Chiro-san pleaded again. "You d-don't know what they'll do."

"I don't care," I hissed back, grabbing his hand with my free one and giving it a quick reassuring squeeze. "I'm not leaving you here alone, you got that? Maybe Riki doesn't mind deserting people, but I—"

"Hey, Ko-chan, didn't Riki teach his new pet any manners? She should be a good little hostess for us," the leader snarled.

"Like hell I will!" I cried, gripping my crutch and backing away as quickly as my injured leg would allow. "And I'm not that idiot's pet!"

"M-Mika..."

"Oi, Ko-chan?" the leader stalked over to my only friend, sneering down into his pale face. He set a hand to Chiro-san's chest and shoved back with all his might. "Sit, boy."

Chiro-san, bless his cowardly heart, didn't stand a chance. His eyes rolled back into his head and all but fainted into the bed of the truck, a soft, terrified squeak escaping his lips as the gun he had just managed to grab skittered out of his hand once again. The thugs roared with laughter. I seethed with rage, gripping my crutch so hard my knuckles turned white. Those lousy...!

"Now be a good boy and stay. We need to train your Mommy to behave herself."

Uh-oh. I knew where _this_ was going, and I didn't like the direction at all. I took two careful steps backwards, then abandoned all caution and whirled on my uninjured heel, making a dash for the end of the narrow alleyway. But I could only sprint so fast in my condition and in five short, pounding steps the gang members caught up with me. One of them jerked my crutch away, sending it skittering down the street, while another knocked my bad leg out from under me. I fell with a yelp, rolled over to regain my footing, and found strong arms jerking me up and pressing me into a nearby wall. I swayed under the pain of my injury and a new, rising fear in my stomach, the kind of terror that makes you want to retch or just die.

"Let go!" I cried, feebly attempting to jerk the stronger men away.

The leader laughed and sauntered over to me, still grinning like a little bastard. Only now, I sort of understood Chiro-san's shaking fear, and felt myself start to tremble a bit, too.

The leader nudged at my skirt with his hand, hiking it almost up to my underwear line. I shouted a cursing protest, but one of the others just slapped me and told me to shut up. The leader took a step back, studying me with eyes like a lion about to attack a gazelle. Oh, hell. That made _me_ the gazelle.

"You're not bad," he admitted. "Riki should've guarded his catch better." His filthy fingers reached towards my shirt and slowly unbuttoned it, like he was savoring every moment of my mounting horror. I felt bile rise up in my throat and I struggled again, but just earned another smack for my efforts. "Don't worry sweetie," he hissed, rubbing a hand along my chest and into my bra. "I gotta make it quick so Riki doesn't catch us, but I'll make it nice too, all right?"

I was shaking like a broken railcar, now, but still managed to raise enough courage to spit in his face. "I thought I said _hands off_, asshole!" I snapped.

The leader's smirk disappeared in an instant, replaced by a nasty scowl. He wiped the thin line of saliva out of his eyes, then reached out a hand and hit me right across the cheek. Black and purple spots burst out in front of my vision, and the next thing I knew he was on me again, his hand reaching into my shirt, pinching at me, pawing at me like some prize _toy_, and his other hand was sneaking up my skirt and all I could do was close my eyes and struggle helplessly and scream and get slapped again and, oh God, this was really _happening_ to me, it wasn't just some dream, and no one was going to help me! I was gonna—

_BLAM!_

A gunshot tore through my shouts and the gang's catcalls, and suddenly the leader's hands slipped away from my body. Something warm thudded against my chest before sliding slowly to the ground. I opened my tear-filled eyes and found the leader on the ground in front of me, a bullet hole in his back. My eyes flitted across the lot and into the terrified, trembling, and snarling face of Chiro-san. He had a gun clasped in both hands, though he shook so bad I don't know how he found his mark, and his brown eyes all but burned with protective rage.

"Get your goddamned hands OFF OF HER!" he roared, pressing his finger against in the trigger in a silent warning. The other four weren't idiots – they released me and backed away. Only I couldn't seem to move, but just stood there staring first at Chiro-san, and then down at the dead man in front of me... oh, God, he was really dead, and that was real blood, just like with the Kato gang, and...

"Mika!"

Chiro-san's voice snapped me out of my trance. I looked up to find him beckoning at me with one free hand, still keeping the gun pointed at our enemies. I stumbled forward, sobbing and limping all of three steps before I collapsed against Chiro-san's shoulder, gripping him for support.

"You're all right, aren't you Mika? They didn't..."

I shook my head, reaching up with shaking hands to button my blouse. "I'm okay, mostly."

"Yokatta." He flashed me a small smile, then turned his attention back to the gang, grumbling a curse under his breath. I followed his gaze, echoing his curse. The remaining four had regrouped and were advancing slowly on us, apparently confident enough with knives to risk Chiro-san's wobbly gunmanship.

"How many bullets do you have?" I asked.

"Two," he said with a weak laugh. "Wanna guess my odds of hitting all four of them like that?"

I moaned, but Chiro-san set his jaw and kept the gun raised. The four hesitated, uncertain of their next move, which gave the two of us a chance to formulate some sort of plan. Or, in my case, to complain about our lack thereof. "Where the hell is Riki?" I asked for about the fifth time.

"Dunno. Guess those lurkers held him up longer than we'd guessed. Doesn't matter. Can't count on him now."

"Do we run?" I asked, which really meant, _"Do you want to run like hell and leave me and my gimpy leg for the thugs?"_

Chiro-san's entire body trembled for another second, and I really thought he _would_ run like hell and leave me for the thugs, but then his eyes took on that dangerous glow again and suddenly the shaking stopped. "Wanna know a secret?" I stared at him blankly, so he continued. "Right behind us, there's a drainage system. Only it's not _really_ a drainage system. Riki and I found out, a while back, that there's a little latch in the top, and when you hit it right it springs open and leads to this underground tunnel. The tunnel goes straight into the palace gardens." He frowned, chewing his lip thoughtfully. "Of course, trespassing is a crime, and they'd probably kill me on sight..."

"No good then," I told him, gripping his sleeve in my shaking fingers. "I already told you I'm not leaving you here for these creeps to chew up."

The gang members must have noticed our frantic conversation because they began advancing again, this time with murder in their eyes. Chiro-san took a cautious step back, until we were nearly pressed against the wall. He glanced down and smiled at me. "Ne, Mika. You really think I'm a nice guy, right?"

"Y-yeah," I said, wondering what that had to do with the price of Persocoms in China.

"And we're friends, right?"

"Y-yeah, but I don't—"

"That's nice. My brother will get a kick out of knowing I was friends with the Suzaku no Miko."

Chiro-san grabbed my arm and kicked out with all his left foot, slamming it into a grate on the side of the building. To my surprise the grate popped open to reveal a dark tunnel, and to my even extremer surprise Chiro-san jerked me forward, shoving me into the tunnel. My leg screamed and so did I, but I fought back the pain and whirled around to find a gun shoved into my hands.

"Use the gun if you need to, but you should be safe in there. Like I said, it leads to the gardens, but the Emperor would never hurt a _female_ trespasser."

"Chiro-san..." I fought to find my words, too confused to do anything but clutch the gun to my chest and stare at him like a raccoon in headlights. "Y-you're coming too, ri—?"

He shushed me and set his index finger against my lips. He smiled that smile at me again, that one that really made him seem happy for the first time in his life. "You know, I've never believed in anything before now, but I have faith in you, Mika. I really do. Maybe that's why, even though I'm scared out of _mind_ right now, it's not so bad anymore. Maybe that's why I can keep _you_ safe, this time." I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off again, this time reaching forward to brush his lips against my forehead. He pulled back, face never once losing that happy smile. "Sayonara, Miko-sama."

He turned around and whipped a knife out of his back pocket, holding it in his quivering fingers. "Come and get me, assholes."

Then he slammed the hidden door and left me in darkness.

"Ch... Chiro-san!" I finally found my voice and lunged forward, slamming my fists into the door and cursing for him to let me out. "Chiro-san, dammit, I told you I wasn't going to leave you! Open this door! Chiro-san... please...!"

All that pounding didn't do me a bit of good, though, except bruise the heck out of my fists. There was probably a secret switch that I didn't know about. I didn't think about that until much later, though – at that point, all of my energy was focused on that so-called coward who had just sacrificed his life to save me. Eventually my tired body gave up, listening as the muffled shouts outside faded into silence.

"Chiro-san no baka..." I whispered, gripping the cold stone floor with my battered fingers. "You're such an idiot..."

I sat there, I don't know for how long, straining my ears for some sort of noise beyond the door, hoping that any minute now the latch would kick back and Chiro-san would stick his face through, grinning at me in that annoying way he _always _grinned at me, and saying something like, "Oh, sorry I scared you! Don't worry, I knew Riki was about to show up, I just wanted to show off a little bit. Everything's all right now, Mika."

But no one ever came. No one was _ever_ going to come.

The realization felt like a kick in the face, but it also served as a wake-up call. Slowly, careful to keep my injured leg from banging the ground too much, I turned and scrambled off through the tunnel, towards moonlight and the faraway palace gardens. I wanted to stay and find the way out, I really did, but the more I thought about it the more I understood that I just _couldn't_, not after Chiro-san had said all of _that_. He really believed in me, more than anything in the world he believed that I'd be able to help Konan. So I _had_ to live now, and I had to do everything possible to make Chiro-san's wish come true. No matter how many people I'd seen killed so far, for some reason I still kept forgetting that this wasn't some silly game – people's _lives_ were at stake, here. I knew I'd never forget that, not ever again.

I ran a hand over my eyes, but I'm sure it was just allergies. Yeah, allergies in a stone-and-dirt tunnel.

"Chiro-san no baka..."

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Nani – What  
Cho-kawaii – Super-cute  
Miko – Priestess  
Oba-chan – Aunt  
Yokatta – Thank goodness; I'm glad; etc.  
Sayonara – Farewell  
Chiro-san no baka – Chiro-san, you fool

**Suffixes**  
-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids (when the gang uses it on Koichiro, it's meant as an insult)

**Author's Note: 1/12/06  
**Hi everyone! And happy New Year, too! I hope everyone had a good holiday season – I know I did!

So what'd you all think of this chapter?I don't want to say too much, but I do promise that things get a little lighter (in some places) in the next chapter, which I'll hopefully have up in a week, maybe two. And another seishi will show up! Maybe even two! That's sort of exciting, right?

Thanks a bunch to Cheeto for reviewing Chapter 3! But um... what happened to everyone else? Do you not like "BW" anymore? Listen, even if you don't like it, I'd still really like a review. I want to get better, and I can't get better if people don't tell me what I need to fix. So please leave comments, even if they're mean ones! I want to write something that you _will_ like, after all!

Next Time: Mika reaches the palace, but that doesn't make her life any easier. Will she find her other seishi? Will she find _Riki_ again? And what about Chiro-san? All your questions will be answered in the next riveting chapter! (Ha, I made that sound more exciting than it is, didn't I?) See you all again soon!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	5. Konan Palace

**Author's Note: **Chapter five at last! I hope the wait didn't drive you _too_ crazy! It's a long one though, so maybe that'll make up for it... I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter Five: Konan Palace (I Would've Liked a Warmer Welcome)**  
Eventually I came to the end of the longest, darkest and loneliest tunnel I'd ever met. I'd managed to get myself under some control by then, though my whole body kept shaking like thin ice under a chubby kid. Goddess, but it'd been a long day.

"Not over yet," I reminded myself, and pressed around in the gloom for a bit in search of some kind of switch to open the tunnel. After about five minutes of frustrated groping I found a catch in the steel and flicked it back, pushing up with all my might. The panel flung open and I clambered out, not even caring about my wounded leg anymore. Some actual light and air was much more important right now.

I found myself smack in the middle of a bunch of big flowery bushes. The moonlight colored them a pale violet, but to this day I don't know what they're called. And, at that moment, I really didn't care. I closed the tunnel gingerly, surprised to find sod and grass across the door. "Clever," I murmured before clicking it back into place. "This must've been made in case of rebellion. I bet it's been here since my Oba-chan's time..." I trailed off, thinking about the aunt I'd never known. Oh, Aunt Miaka, was it all bad for you, too? Did Watase-san romanticize it _that_ much? It _has_ to get better than this, right? I thought a lot of mournful things like that, but exhaustion pounded me in the face before I could find any answers. I crawled into one of the nearby flower bushes, curled up in a tight ball and, with a little prayer to Suzaku asking him to save Chiro-san – I _promised _myself that that had happened, because Option Number 2 was too unbearable – and fell into about the most miserable sleep of my life.

oOo

When I woke up the sun was already at its highest point. I crawled out of the bush, brushing leaves from my clothes and attempting to straighten up as best as I could. The sun put a really beautiful glow on everything, so much that I sort of thought things really _would_ get better. Even my leg didn't hurt as much, though I still had to hop around like a crippled bunny. Too bad I'd left my crutch back with the truck.

I was starving, so I slunk around the garden until I found a couple of fruit trees. I munched on some peaches and even found a strawberry patch, but the longer I stayed still the more my mind thought about the night before, and the more I felt like crying again. Chiro-san _had_ to be okay, and Riki too, and when I found them I'd skin them both alive for scaring me so badly. I'd tell them, _'Stop being a pair of men for five seconds!' _and kick them once or twice, and everything would be okay.

Lies are really handy, aren't they?

After I'd eaten enough to hold me over I slipped off into the palace grounds in search of an exit. Step One was to get the heck out without getting caught. Just because Chiro-san said I'd be safe didn't mean it was a guarantee. He also liked _Riki_, if you'll remember. Once I pulled that off, Step Two was to find a bullet train or some sort of transportation and hightail it back to Riki's shop. He'd yell at me, I'd yell at him, then Chiro-san would expertly change the subject (because of course he was alive and well) and we'd all sit down for a nice hot cup of green tea – Japan's beverage of choice since the dawn of civilization!

I flicked myself in the forehead and ducked behind a tree, certain I'd heard noises ahead of me. "You can fantasize later, Mikako," I grumbled to myself, then as an afterthought, turned my eyes up to stare at my brain. "And is that _really_ the best fantasy you can come up with? _Tea_? At least have Chiro-san and Riki in Speedos or something."

Mm, Riki in a Speedo...

"Dammit," I flicked my forehead again and started off once more, towards a distant wall and away from the feared voices. Though I tried to remain stealthy (or as stealthy as a gimp _could _be), I couldn't help but glance around the palace in wonder, stunned by the almost seamless blend of traditional and modern technology. A sleek swimming pool graced once edge of a courtyard, and directly next to it sat a gazebo that looked about as old as _The Universe of the Four Gods_ itself. A man in a business suit crossed paths with a lady in silk Chinese robes. Soldiers stalked the palace walls with guns; soldiers sauntered around the corridors with swords dangling at their hips. I couldn't help but fell another boost of optimism – the hustle-bustle of the palace had a real charm to it, and the easy-going mix of cultures helped me almost feel at home.

My nose caught a whiff from the nearby kitchens and I almost drowned in my own drool. I was about five seconds from scampering off to the heavenly sent, but pinched myself and remembered my current mission. "Step One, find exit," I murmured aloud, smiling through my words. I'd always thought it so stupid that my Oba-chan left Tamahome to pursue food at the palace. Now, I sort of understood why.

Mm, chicken-stuffed dumplings and fresh steamed rice...

"Dammit," I grumbled again, flicking my forehead for the third time. "No fantasies, Mikako!"

I whirled on my good heel and headed resolutely around a building, determined not to think about half-naked bishounen or freshly cooked food—

And ran right into a brick wall.

Upon closer inspection, the wall turned out to be a man. And, upon even closer inspection, that man turned out to be a very hardened – but still rather attractive – woman. I stared up at her, trying to decide what to do. Her black hair framed her face in a way that reminded me of Rei from _Eva_, but she kept it long and tied up in the back. She was dressed in a long-sleeve red button-down top with little gold phoenixes stitched on the front; a pair of black slacks completed the outfit. At her side swung a sword, but I didn't notice that right away. I was too busy looking at her violet eyes, which stared straight into my brown ones, almost completely void of emotion.

"Who are you?" she asked, voice never once rising or falling. Spooky.

I thought fast, or tried to, but the first and safest answer that popped into my head was, "No habla espanol, senorita," which, when you think about it, doesn't even make sense. I blame the pain in my leg, personally.

The woman's cold eyes narrowed and her gloved hand fell to her sword. "A foreigner, hm? Illegal too, I suppose."

"No, I'm sorry; it was a really bad joke. I'm—"

"A trespasser, regardless of your nationality. Come with me, please."

"Where to?"

"The dungeons of course."

"Dungeons!" I yelped. They still _had_ those in the 1990s?

She grabbed my wrist in one hand, tugging me slightly to the right. Her grip wasn't tight, but it still felt like iron – like when a friend holds a box of manga right above you so it just touches your skin. You can't _feel _pressure exactly, but you know it'd hurt if it decided to clamp down on you. She must've noticed my look of total panic because she said, "It's only temporary, until we decide what to do with you."

"What to 'do' with me...?" I repeated, gulping loudly. That sounded promising. "Uh, listen, Nee-san..."

"You'd do well to address me as 'Teichou,' prisoner."

"Teichou, then. I—"

Wait. Teichou. As in 'Captain of the Imperial Guard'?

Ho. Ly. Crap.

I'd slammed into the head of the Emperor's execution squad.

"Hey, listen, Teichou-sama, this is all a mistake! I didn't _mean_ to wind up in the palace, in fact I was looking for an escape route just now, and—" I was working so hard to prove my innocence that I forgot to watch the path. My bad leg hit a pothole and turned hard. I gasped and nearly collapsed, but the Teichou's grip never once faltered. She glanced back at my pale, sweaty form and, though her face never once changed expression, I thought I saw a flash of pity in her eyes.

"Relax, girl. You're old enough and attractive enough. His Highness would never sentence a _woman_ to death, anyway."

"Then why can't I—"

"Basic procedure," she responded. "I follow my orders and these are them. Now, let's continue."

And off we went again, though a tiny bit slower this time. My skirt was long enough to cover my bandaged knee, so the Teichou probably just thought I was clumsy. Nice. I stared at the hard woman's back and limped along, wondering why I was so keen to follow her anyway. How was I supposed to know things really would "be okay"? But something about her made me want to trust her, weird as it sounds, and in my current condition it wasn't like I had much of a choice anyway. Besides, this was the fastest way for me to meet the Emperor, and maybe get some things figured out. I could deal with the Teichou's icy personality for a little longer.

She really _was_ a very beautiful woman, now that I looked at her for a second. It was hard to believe I'd thought she was a man at first. Her body was a series of gently sloping curves and soft edges, but the way she carried herself... Otoo-san used to work in a night club and met some interesting friends because of it. This Teichou sort of reminded me of one of his transvestite buddies, only in reverse. A woman who carried herself like a man. Strange.

"Could you move a bit faster?" Madame Teichou asked with a tiny hint of impatience. "The palace doesn't guard itself you know, and I have other duties to His Majesty."

"G...gomen," I said, holding back a smart comment. Probably not a good idea to tick off the Emperor's right hand, especially when that hand held a big ol' executioner's sword.

_Well_, I thought with as much optimism as I could muster, _I could be in worse company. I could be with Riki_.

Oh, my blood boiled just _thinking_ about him! How he'd totally ditched Chiro-san and me to the elements, and only leaving us with a single gun to defend ourselves! Sure, I'd never shot a gun in my life, but I had two years of fencing club under my belt. I could've... I could've...

"Oh." I felt myself droop a little under the weight of my total helplessness. Truth is, I couldn't have done anything even if I hadn't been too scared to fight. Even Chiro-san had proven better prepared than me.

Chiro-san...

I shook my head hard. No. He was alive. He _had_ to be. Riki had to have arrived in time. Chiro-san was tough – not a fighter, but a survivor at least. He was okay. And hopefully he'd never have to deal with my rotten luck again.

"Here we are."

I looked up, surprised to find myself standing before a short Redstone building, probably about half a century old. The windows were barred, but it really didn't look like too bad of a place all things considered. _"Dungeon"_ was a pretty lame term for it, anyway.

"This is our temporary holding cell," the Teichou explained. She sounded so bored _I _almost wanted to fall asleep. "Be a good prisoner and you'll probably be out by nightfall. I'll inform His Highness." She slipped an old-fashioned key into the latch – I guess voice keys and bar code cards were a bit too advanced for this world – and slid the door open. "Ah, you're in luck," she said with a hint of amusement, "you have company."

"Eh?" I poked my head over her shoulder and peered into the dim cell. My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Riki and I cried in perfect unison.

"You know each other. How fortunate," the Teichou set a hand against my back and pressed forward. I could've sworn she barely touched me, but I still plowed head-first into Riki. "Jaa ne," she murmured, then closed the door with a soft click, leaving us one hundred-percent alone.

"Ano... you wanna get your face out of my lap?" Riki grumbled, poking the top of my head which was currently buried in his jeans. Oh, ew.

I shoved myself away, rubbing at my mouth and glaring at his ill-tempered, smirking face. "It wasn't exactly by choice, you know. That Teichou must work out like a man, too."

"Violet _is_ a man, as far as I'm concerned," Riki said with a snigger.

I took a seat next to him on the single room's bench. "So Violet's her name?"

"Nope, it's a nickname that's short for another nickname. All the boys called her Violet Ice. Fitting, ne?"

I nodded, rubbing a hand across my sweaty brow and heaving a sigh. "Whew, it's hot in here."

"I'm fine."

"That's because a demon's natural habitat is Hellfire."

"Are you bringing up my damned symbol again?"

I smiled sweetly. "No. Just your general personality." Riki scowled and I laughed. "What're you doing in here anyway? I thought you had an audience with the Royal Advisor Perverts."

"Magistrate Takeda wanted to argue prices like we were living in the 1950s. I told him I paid more for his mother last night." I smothered a laugh and he glared at me. "Well, I'm glad _you _think it's funny, but Takeda didn't seem so amused. Told me I could spend a couple of days in the Holding Tank, the rotten bastard."

My laughter died away as I remembered my second question, and the one I almost dreaded to ask. I glanced hopefully into Riki's dark eyes, pleading for the good answer. "And, Chiro-san...?"

"Back at the shop, for all I know. They let _him_ go free."

My eyes widened and a disbelieving smile lit my features. "So he's okay? That gang... they didn't...?"

Riki snorted. "I strolled back to the truck to find Ko backed into an alley, slashing at the three remainders like a cornered wolf. Ko's a tough little bastard when he has a mind to be, but as soon as he saw me he straight-up fainted." He shrugged, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. "I took care of the rest. The one I left alive is probably crying to his Boss right now, warning him about attacking Kuroyoku's business." He winked. "I promised that I'd visit 'em at home if they ever harassed my partners again. Ko's worth too much to lose in some two-bit knife fight."

"Mm... RIKIIIIII!" I couldn't help myself. I practically suffocated him in a hug. "I was so worried about him, thank you so much for saving Chiro-san! I take back half the nasty things I've ever said about you, I promise!"

"Get off me!" Riki snapped beneath my stranglehold. "I only let good-looking girls do this to me."

"Nope, you definitely earned a ten-second snuggle glomp."

"I only saved him 'cause he's valuable, and it was fun beatin' the hell out of those bastards!"

"Doesn't matter."

Silence filled the room for a couple of seconds, until Riki finally growled, "My face is in your boobs." The smile fell from my face. "And they're _tiny_."

I pulled back, glaring at him. "You just earned back a quarter of the nasty things I've said about you."

"No more hugs?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then I'll take the insults."

I growled and looked away. "You're impossible. I try to _thank _you for something and you actually get _meaner_."

"Compliments eventually have to be repaid, which involves the word 'paid'."

"Skinflint."

"Damn right."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, Riki with his thoughts and I with mine. He was probably going over business profits or something, but I was thinking more about my future, and the seishi next to me, and the question that'd been bothering me for the past two days – did Riki's greed spawn from family needs, or just personal hunger?

At the thought of _'hunger'_ my stomach let out a roar, nearly shaking the window bars. Riki nudged me in the shoulder. "Tell it to shut up. I've been in here all night without a meal and I'm just fine." He heaved an irritated sigh and tucked his arms behind his head. "But then again, a rich Kutou brat would be _used_ to five-course meals all day long, huh?"

"What's going to happen to us?" I muttered, staring down at the floor. I was starting to feel dizzy, and my leg had gone back to throbbing again. I wiped another line of sweat off my forehead and fought to keep my hands from shaking. "Teichou-sama said I'd be okay, but..."

"She doesn't lie," Riki interrupted, sounding almost nice for a change. "They won't hurt you – either of us, actually. My business is too valuable to Emperor Meigiri. He'll just fine me a bit, give me a slap on the wrist, and send me on my way. As for you, well, even if you are a flat-chested little brat, Meigiri'll probably want you to live in his Royal Harem."

I almost fell off the bench. "Th-those still exist?"

"Meigiri III picked up the practice about seventy years back, as a means of finding a wife and helping folks in the depression pay off their debts. From what I hear, it's a pretty cushy life these days..."

"Like hell!" I snapped, jumping to my feet and rushing towards the cell door. I fumbled around in my skirt pocket through my three belongings until my hand finally grasped the smooth steel of my most treasured possession. Oh, thank you Uncle Taki! And mother said you were a no-good punk. "I _refuse_ to be anyone's sex toy, you got that Riki? I'm getting out of here, _right now_."

Riki chuckled behind me. "Good luck, kid."

I whipped out my multi-purpose razor-thin pocket laser, fiddling with the controls until I had it on _"Heavy Cutting."_ The little beauty was only made to cut through thin steel at the _very _most, but something told me that wouldn't be a problem around here.

"You know," Riki continued as I got to work filing away at the door's hinges, "if you ask me nice I'd probably speak up for you. After all, you were my property first, and your cooking doesn't completely suck. It's unlikely the Emperor would pay me for you, so..."

"And if he did?" I asked, only half-listening. I grinned as another one of the iron hinges sliced open. Almost there, baby.

"Well, everything has a value sweetheart, even your precious freedom. Still, Meigiri isn't _that _desperate for girls – he's already got a throng of wannabe wives, I hear – so say a little 'pretty please' and I'll—"

"No need," I told him, standing and slipping the penknife back in my pocket. "I'm outta here."

I set a hand to the door and pushed out. The entire structure fell outwards, landing with a _whump_ on the cement below. Riki fell off the bench. "How... how... what kinda knife _was _that?"

"An Erikson Model 12, but that's not important right now." I grinned and headed into the sunlight. "You coming? I promise to help you out as long as the Emperor doesn't offer money for your return."

Riki stood and snorted. "Don't think I'm grateful, kid. Gratitude is a lot more expensive than the bail fee you saved me from paying."

"Everything really _does_ have a price to you, doesn't it?" I asked in an almost light-hearted tone. Even with my leg hurt and Riki's nastiness and the sudden chill in the air – when had it gotten cold again? – I had actually done something for myself, this time, and that put a little bounce into my step.

"Not everything," Riki assured me, offering his hand so I had a bit of balance on my gimpy leg. "Air is relatively free."

"Thank God – I thought I'd have to get the fees taken out of my paycheck." I accepted his help and glanced around, a tiny smile on my face. Tamahome and his Miko on their great escape. I almost felt like my Aunt Miaka. "Lead me to an exit, Riki."

"That's easy. Show me where you came in." He paused, scratching at his chin thoughtfully. "Hey... how come you just didn't go out the way you came in, 'stead of wandering around 'till you got caught?" I almost tripped on my own feet and nearly face-vaulted into the ground. Riki burst into mad cackles. "HA! You forgot, didn't you? That's _rich_, Mikako! Those're some real survival skills you got packed away!"

"Well I was a little preoccupied at the time!" I snapped, blushing like a stop light. "And keep your voice down, will you? There are guards all over this place."

Riki quieted down a bit and we set off to the gardens, keeping close to buildings and away from noisy areas. For about five minutes things actually seemed okay between us – sort of friendly, even – and right when we'd reached the kitchens I finally got up the nerve to ask The Question.

"Ne, Riki..."

"Right or left?" I looked at him blankly. He heaved a sigh. "You're helpful. Right, then. And what?"

"Well," I looked to the ground, feeling sort of shy. There was a seventy five-percent chance he'd bite my head off and chew on the eyeballs (nice visual, Mikako) after I asked this, but I had to do it. "I was just thinking about how much you love money." His eyes glossed over at the word. I scowled and continued. "And, well, I was sort of wondering... _why_ are you so obsessed with it? You have a good business, so it's not like you _have_ to pinch ryo like you do. So there's gotta be a reason, right?"

Riki shrugged. "Money equals power in this world, and power equals safety. Therefore, money equals safety. You try livin' in the slums and not wanting a little of that, Country Girl."

"I know the basic rules of Algebra, thank you very much!" I grumbled. "And I _guess_ I understand that, but..." I looked down and murmured, "What about you family?"

Riki's hand slipped from mine and his entire body tensed up. "Who told you about them?"

"N-no one," I assured him, surprised by the intensity in his tone. "I just guessed, is all... I mean, it made sense, if you had siblings to support, and—"

"Support? Are you _shitting _me?"

...What?

I jerked to a halt, whipping my head around to meet his gaze and found myself staring into the coldest, cruelest eyes I'd ever seen. "N...nani...?"

"Yeah, kid, I've got a family all right," Riki moved forward, kicking at a stray stone almost viciously. "Three little brats and my drunken old man. I see 'em once a year on New Year's, so the old bastard doesn't rip me out of his useless will, but you think they get shit from me? That's a riot."

I fought to find my voice. "Y-you're... you're kidding, right?" I stammered, taking two uncertain steps back. "I... I mean, if your family needs you, you wouldn't really...?"

Riki glared at me out of the corner of his eye. "Nothing gets you nothing, kid, and that's all that dead weight has ever given me. They start helping _me_ out and maybe I'd start caring about them, but right now it's just constant bitching for cash because 'little sister's got the flu.' God damn! You'd think those sorry bastards'd start supporting their own damn needs. I mean, for Suzaku's sake..." He'd been walking forward, but stopped when he realized I wasn't following his lead. Riki looked back, cocking an eyebrow at my trembling form. "You coming?"

I took another step back, clasping my hands against my chest. "You're..." I stumbled for my words, still struck dumb by that – that total and complete cruelty in his voice. "You're not Tamahome," I finally whispered. "I don't know _who_ you are, but... I _refuse_...!"

I turned and took off back through the palace. Riki's voice called out an irritated, "Oi, Mikako!" but I cut him off before he could finish.

"I'll find my own way, thank you!" I snapped over my shoulder and broke into an awkward run, too upset to notice the pangs shooting up my leg. "Just stay away from me! I don't need you – don't want you – so just disappear already, okay? Just _die_ for all I care!"

Then I turned a corner and lost sight of him, leaving behind those merciless eyes, that terrible voice, and the man who had the nerve to call himself my aunt's beloved.

oOo

I trudged through the palace grounds, I don't know for how long. I kept almost-crying, then forcing myself to stop, then almost-crying again. I kept getting these dizzy spells too, and my leg was practically on fire. Add to the mix that I was totally lost, and the picture was not a pleasant one.

When the world started spinning for about the seventh time I finally decided to give up this stupid search. I collapsed on a nearby bench, stretching out my legs and burying my face into my palms.

"Stupid Riki," I grumbled, feeling my throat tightening again. "It's one thing to be greedy, but to say those things, and about his own family... how could he ever, _ever_ be...?" I sniffed hard. I really felt like dying, right then. "I want to _go home_..."

"Oh, my. Is everything all right, dear?"

I glanced up through a veil of water at a lovely young woman. She gazed back at me with light brown eyes and genuine concern on her soft red lips. "Oh!" she yelped when I looked at her. "You're crying! Kawaii sou ni... here." She reached into her ankle-length crimson skirt and pulled out a handkerchief with a little Suzaku emblazoned on one side. "Go on. It won't bite."

Looking up into her pretty, sweet face, I just about broke down. "Oh..." I accepted the small cloth, managing a small "Arigatou" before I finally lost my fight with the tears, buried my face into the handkerchief, and sobbed. "This _sucks_...!" I wailed, fully aware that I sounded like a five-year old and not caring in the slightest. "Everything is wrong, wrong, _wrong_! And now I'm lost, and wanted, and my leg..."

"It can't be _that_ bad."

"Oh, yes it can! It's cho-warui! _Totemo _cho-warui! Ihate it...!"

The woman leaned down, taking the handkerchief gently from my shaking hands and brushing at my eyes. She flashed me a small, comforting smile, the kind of smile only a mother or a really close sister can give you. The kind of smile that makes you want to cry even _harder_, which I almost did. "Well," she began, taking a seat on the bench next to me, "if it really is 'totemo cho-warui,' maybe I can help fix it. So! Problem Number One: you're lost. Where do you want to go?"

"Home," I murmured.

"And where is that? Are you one of the new concubines?"

"No!" I snapped, making a face. "I don't live in the palace, and I don't want to. I'm from..." Oh, what the hell. It didn't matter anymore anyway. "You'll think I'm crazy, but I'm from another world entirely, one without stupid great mazes of palaces and gangs and bloody merchants..."

"Another world!" the woman all but squealed. She clasped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, I've heard stories like these before! Tell me, is your world terribly advanced? What's the future like? Have the robots taken over yet?"

I blinked. "What?"

"Oh, and aliens! You _have_ made contact with other life forms, haven't you?"

I blinked again, feeling a tiny, bewildered smile on my previously miserable face. "Well, there were those gopher-things that we found on Alpha 11, but I don't really know if that counts..."

The woman giggled, hiding her laugh behind one dainty white sleeve. "Oh, this is _truly_ wonderful! I've always _wanted_ to meet a true foreigner, and I rather expected it to happen soon, but I never would have guessed that I'd find you in the palace! Tell me, have you ever driven a flying car?"

"No, but I... uh..." I swayed, the palace yards swam in my vision, and when I opened my eyes again my head was buried in the woman's skirts.

"Oh, heavens! Are you ill, dear?"

"Dunno," I admitted, unwilling to move just yet. "I keep getting dizzy, and it's sort of cold here, and my leg _really_ hurts."

"Your leg?" I nodded weakly and she pushed me up into a sitting position, watching my sweat-drenched face with concerned brown eyes. "May I take a look? I'm not a doctor, but I took first aid courses this past summer."

I nodded again. "Left knee," I muttered, leaning my head back against the bench. "Got shot, couple days ago."

"Shot! You poor thing – who would do something like that?"

"Everyone in the city, I'm starting to think," I said as she gingerly pulled up my skirt. I felt her fiddling with the bandages a bit, then her hands fell away and I heard a soft, "Oh, gods," from her quiet voice.

"Do I want to look?" I asked, pinching my eyes closed.

"No... no, let's avoid that," she agreed, lowering the skirt again. "I think I'll take you to the doctor, dear."

"Thank you, um..."

"My name is Joumi. And you are?"

"Ka... Kasumiya Mikako, ma'am." I frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't know what to call you. You live in the palace so I know you're at least a 'sama,' but is 'dono' better, or...?"

Joumi offered me a hand up, which I accepted gratefully. "How old are you, Mikako-san?"

"Seventeen."

"_Going on eighteen_...I sang to myself. Stupid Hoshi and her love of twentieth-century musicals.

"Well, I just turned twenty-one this week, so why don't you call me Joumi-senpai?"

"Senpai?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

She smiled and nodded. "Oh, yes please! I had private tutors all my life, so I never had anyone call me that before! So you can call me Joumi-senpai, and I'll call you Mika-chan, okay?"

"Um... okay..." I couldn't decide if she was slightly insane or just very lonely, but she was at least nice so I figured I'd humor her. And while I was doing that, I probably ought to be honest, too. "Listen, Joumi-senpai." Wow, that felt weird. "I should probably come clean with you. As much as I appreciate your help, I'm sort of a trespasser. I escaped the jail, and there's a good chance the Teichou is after me now."

"Oh, I knew that!" she said with a light wave of her free hand. "Some of the guards were buzzing about it earlier, saying you must be an enemy spy or a witch the way you knocked the door clean off its hinges. I actually came looking for you, to be honest. I wanted to see an enemy spy in person." I stared at her and she chuckled again, patting me lightly on the head. "Never fear, Mika-chan. Now that I've met you I can see that you are no more a spy than I am; and if you are a witch, well, then you're a very kind one, and no one ever executed a witch simply for being a witch, you know." Apparently she'd never heard of the Salem Witch Trials, I thought with an inner sweatdrop. "I fully intend to keep you safe and get you out of the palace in one piece. But let's take care of that leg first, all right?"

Now I _knew_ she was mental, but kind crazy people are worth ten sane jerks as far as I'm concerned. At any rate, she seemed to have some power around here, so sticking with her was the best bet for now. Not to mention I was too wobbly to stand on my own anyway.

She led me to a small hospital near the northern palace wall, where a friendly old doctor marveled over my injury – "amazing that it's not infected," he kept exclaiming – before cleaning it out and patching it up with a quickie stitch-job and a fresh bandage. I told him to send the bill to Kuroyoku's Traveling Market, which Joumi-senpai really got a kick out of. "Kuroyoku-san will have a heart attack!" she said before handing a few gold coins to the doctor. "Compliments of Little Brother, my good friend."

The doctor grinned and disappeared, I guess to marvel at more patients' busted-up knees.

"Well," Joumi said, offering me a real set of crutches and another sweet smile, "where shall we go next, Mika-chan?" My stomach answered for me and Joumi clapped a dismayed palm to her mouth. "Oh heavens, I _do_ apologize! It's nearly three in the afternoon – you must be fairly starved! Shall we visit the kitchens, then? The cooks could probably throw a quick meal together for us. Takuto-san _does_ make the best Szechwan noodles..."

She bounced off again and I was forced to follow, hobbling along much more comfortably now that I had some painkillers in me and a pair of crutches for support. "Joumi-senpai, wait."

"Mm? Are Szechwan noodles not to your liking?"

"No, they're cho-oishii..." I assured her. "It's just... why are you being so nice to me?"

"Oh? Am I being all that nice?" she put a finger to her chin, looking up thoughtfully. "I thought my manners had been somewhat _lacking _as of late."

I gawked at her. "You mean you're just _naturally_ like this?"

"Yes, but I can be unpleasant if you'd prefer that," she assured me, then proceeded to screw her expression into what I _guess_ was a scowl and bellow, "You stupid person, I hate the sight of your face! Please avoid these quarters of the palace or I shall be most upset with you! Bastard!" She blushed. "How was that?"

I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it. "Please, Senpai, no more cruelty. I don't think I could take such punishment much longer."

She smothered a giggle with her sleeve. "Was it _terribly_ fake? Little Brother says I've no knack for command. I suppose he inherited those genes, then."

"I'm glad for that," I told her with a smile. "I'm not used to people being so kind around here. Arigatou, Joumi-senpai."

"No need for thanks, Mika-chan." She sighed, holding open the doors so I could enter the heavenly-smelling kitchens. "It's a fine state the world is in, when people are _thanked_ for simple human decency..."

Joumi trailed off and I stopped dead in my tracks, because a loud, enraged cry echoed around the corner. "Get your filthy paws _offa me_!"

Joumi's eyes widened. I sagged against my crutches. I knew that snarling yell. "Oh, Buddha help me. That idiot." I took off across the courtyard, turned the corner – and, for the second time that day, ran into a brick wall named Teichou.

She glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrowing as she saw me. "This is convenient." I took a couple of precautionary steps back, but the Teichou all but ignored me. She whipped her eyes back around to her _other_ adversary, calling across the short distance: "This girl is with you, correct Kuroyoku? If you value her life, I'd suggest you stop this foolishness."

I stared across the clearing at Riki, who stood amidst a pile of unconscious guards. Three of them had managed to pin his arms to his sides, however, and he glared back at me across the clearing, contemplating his next move. "What are you still doing here?" I demanded.

"I came back for you, you idiot!" he snapped, struggling in the guard's hold.

A soft gasp escaped my lips. I had to be hearing things. "You came back for... for me?"

"Of course I came back for you! You're the only one who knows THE DAMNED ESCAPE ROUTE!"

"Oh?" the Teichou's icy glare turned on me again. "An escape route? That sounds suspicious to me. Perhaps the men's rumors have some truth in them, and you really _are_ an enemy spy. From Kutou, perhaps?"

She advanced a step towards me and I took a very clumsy hop-skip back, but both of us stopped as three howls of pain echoed across the courtyard. Our heads whirled to see Riki deliver a swift kick to the final guards' stomach, sending him to the ground with a muffled groan. Riki jerked his head in the Teichou's direction, eyes alight and forehead burning with his crimson symbol.

"You," he growled, raising a fist and crouching into a fighter's stance, "will keep your man-hands _off_ of her. Kasumiya Mikako is _my_ property, and nobody gets to kill my idiot cook except for _me_!"

I narrowed my eyes at my so-called protector. "This would all be very romantic..." I drawled, "IF YOU WEREN'T TREATING ME LIKE A HORSE!" I slammed my crutch into the nearby wall in frustration and someone squeaked behind me. I glanced back, blinking. My crutch had missed hitting Joumi by about two centimeters. "Wh... when did you get here?"

"Only just now. What is happening?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but the Teichou interrupted me. "Stay back, Joumi-dono. This fool's insubordination must be dealt with according to the law."

Riki smirked, symbol still shining in the afternoon light. "Deal with me then, Violet."

"Yoshimi-san..." Joumi began – I guess she was speaking to the Teichou – but before she could finish the female soldier drew her sword, squaring off against Riki.

"Stand back, Joumi-dono."

"But that symbol..."

"Please, Hime-sama."

Hime-sama? Did she just call _Joumi _a _Princess_?

Riki smirked, glancing at the weapon in the Teichou's hands and interrupting my jumbled thoughts. "Huh, and with a sword and all? Too 'classy' to use your fists, Violet-chan? Or maybe you're just too scared?"

The Teichou's eyes narrowed. The sword clattered from her hand to the cobbled stone below. She raised her fists. "Come on, then."

The merchant-thief darted forward, ducking the Teichou's left hook and reaching up with a right uppercut of his own (thank goodness my Uncle Taki taught me boxing terms, huh?). The Teichou managed to put up her arms to block it, taking a couple of steps back to regain her footing. Riki didn't give her the chance, but attacked again, ducking low and aiming for her side with a high, swinging kick. The Teichou stuck out a hand, snatching his foot in one hand and twisting hard. I thought Riki'd be down for the count for sure, but he performed a half-somersault in midair, jerking out of her hold and landing perfectly on his feet. He grinned at the woman, who met him with her usual unreadable stare, before Riki went in for the kill, aiming high with his right fist. The Teichou took a calm step back, ducked the punch, and brought out her left hook again. From my vantage point it looked like she'd barely clipped him, but I must've had a weird angle because Riki's jaw snapped shut with a resounding _clack!_ and his limp form sailed across the courtyard, landing a good five feet away. He didn't get up.

"Riki!" I yelped, hardly aware that I was worried until I felt my heart almost stick in my throat.

The Teichou relaxed her stance, staring down at Riki's prostrate form. "You lack discipline, Kuroyoku. Your talent needs to learn patience."

By now a small crowd of aristocrats had gathered in the clearing, murmuring about the fight. Joumi stood beside me, mouth covered as she shook her head from side to side. "Not good, not good..."

I turned desperately to my last resort. "Joumi-senpai, can't you _do_ something about this?"

"Not now, not when she's like this," she whispered back. "Yoshimi-san only listens to the Emperor. Without his command..."

A soft sound – like the patter of rain on a tin roof, almost – hummed in the air, growing steadily louder by the second. The Teichou looked up, nodding at the sound. "The reinforcements have arrived, I see."

Seconds later nearly two-score soldiers burst from around the buildings, surrounding our little party in an instant. I stared at the armored men – this felt a bit like overkill, especially since Riki hadn't risen – but, more importantly, I stared at the handgun each toted at his side, sitting comfortably in hand and ready for use.

Joumi yelped, but I didn't understand why until the Teichou's iron grip clamped down on my arm. She started to jerk me out into the courtyard, towards Riki, but Joumi's hand flew out, snapping down atop the Teichou's with more force than I thought the sweet woman possessed. "Yoshimi-san," Joumi said, her voice a fierce plea. "I think you're mistaken. This girl is with me. I will vouch for her in front of the High Courts, if I must, only please let her be. She's injured, for heaven's sake. What sort of threat could she possibly pose to us?"

The Teichou glared hard at Joumi for a moment, then lowered her eyes and released her hold. "Very well, Hime-sama. However," she whirled again on the prostrate Riki, boots clacking hard across the ground, "you will leave this one to me. His insolence is intolerable. Do you understand, Joumi-dono?"

I glanced back at my new friend pleadingly, but she only met my stare for a brief apologetic second before nodding quietly. "Of course. Forgive me for interrupting your duties, Yoshimi-san." A frustrated snarl escaped my throat and I tried to move forward, but Joumi's strong arms caught me by the shoulders, pulling me back and holding me close. "Please don't, Mika-chan. I don't want to lose my only friend, not this soon. What could you do for him, anyway?"

I gulped, straining forward even though I knew it was hopeless, staring at Riki's down-turned face. He hadn't moved since that punch, I realized suddenly. Not even a twitch. I clapped a hand to my mouth, surprised to find my stomach in knots. Oh, God, she hadn't... he wasn't... Riki wasn't _dead_, was he?

"Ne, Riki..." I called across the clearing, the knot in my stomach moving up to choke at my throat. "I didn't mean it when I told you to die, okay? I swear I really _didn't mean it_!" I snapped my gaze to the Teichou, feeling rage threatening to overcome my sickly fear. "If you killed him..."

"You'll do what, girl?"

Our eyes met, hers as cold as a killer's and mine just terribly frightened. I looked down again, towards Riki's motionless form. The Teichou snorted. "As I thought." Her heels clicked as she faced the army again, but instead of orders she only offered the men a slight, startled gasp.

"Teichou, what in Suzaku's name is all this noise about?"

I jerked my head up at the new, stately voice to find that everyone _else_ had ducked their eyes. Even Joumi released her hold on my shoulders and bowed politely to the approaching figure, and the Teichou's forehead touched all the way to the ground. I followed the general flow of the bow to find a young man standing at the front of the soldiers. I couldn't help but gasp myself. I know the moment was really very serious, but may I just say... _Yum_?

The new arrival was a tall man, probably in his very early twenties, with long black hair that fell in a slight wave to his shoulders. His grey eyes gazed upon the clearing with a no-nonsense attitude, and he held himself so confidently that I couldn't help but bow my head a bit as well. I might also add that his choice of clothing proved superb: a pair of crisp black pants and a white business shirt with a matching black blazer flung regally over one shoulder. Anyone up for role-playing? You be the naughty businessman and I'll be your innocent secretary...

"Teichou, I'd prefer an answer to a bow, if you please."

"Heika, forgive the noise," the Teichou murmured humbly. Hah, I didn't figure someone that cold _had _humility... Wait.

...What'd she call the hot business boy?

"I arrested a second prisoner today. A trespasser, Heika."

Oh, yeah. She definitely said _'Heika,' _as in _'mein fuehrer,'_ as in _'el capitan'_ as in _'the Emperor_.Oh... yum.

"I placed her in the cell with the young Kuroyoku man, but as you can see they both escaped. I have only just apprehended them, Heika. Joumi-dono vouches for the girl, but Kuroyoku tried to resist, so I... used force."

I took a step forward, whipping my head around to face the Emperor. "Listen, this is all my fault, Riki was just trying to—"

If he heard my explanation, he didn't let it show. Instead his eyes stayed focused on a shape over my shoulder. "It appears you didn't use enough force, Teichou."

I jerked my head around, mouth dropping open as Riki, shakily but surely, rose to his feet, grinning like an idiot at the Teichou. "Is that your _best shot_, Violet? I'm disappointed."

The Teichou barely acknowledged his comment, but instead kept her eyes on her commander. "Kuroyoku is guilty of jailbreak, insubordination, and the assault on several palace guards. Your verdict, Heika?"

Riki grinned up at the Emperor, wiping a line of blood from his lip. "Would an 'I'm sorry' help?"

The Emperor sniffed. "You attacked my Teichou unprovoked?"

"She had it coming, Heika."

The Emperor's eyes curled into a harsh smile. "That's cute, Kuroyoku-san." He turned on his heel, waving a hand at the guards. "Arrest him, if you please. If he resists, then kill him."

I opened my mouth again, hoping to explain the situation, or at least tell the Emperor about Riki's seishi identity, but I was interrupted again, this time by my impudent 'boss'. "Hey, Your Majesty! I had a conjugal visit last night!" Riki smirked, spitting a tooth out and snapping at the Emperor's departing back, "Your sister moans like a whore."

Joumi squeaked beside me, flushing a brilliant crimson. The Emperor glanced over his shoulder, fire blazing in his eyes. "Such threats are akin to resistance. Kill him."

Twelve guns flew upwards and the innocent aristocrats screamed, attempting to dodge the line of fire, but the guards did not seem worried about the casualties. My eyes shot to the exhausted Riki, to the stone-cold Teichou, to the teary-eyed Joumi, to the back of the Emperor, and finally to those twelve silver handguns.

"Stop..." I whispered, voice quivering and barely audibly. The safety latches clicked off.

_Fuyu and Aki fell to the ground, shot down by the Kato family bodyguards..._

"Stop it..." I said again, louder this time. People were screaming now, trying to escape, but Riki faced the guns head-on, glaring defiantly at the dark barrels. The Teichou moved calmly away from the clearing, Joumi covered her eyes at my side, and the guards pressed their fingers against the triggers.

"_He never looked at me like that. When he flicked your nose, for half a second he... the most hardened, bitter man I've ever met actually smiled, and like he really meant it, too. He's softer around the edges with you here, Mikako, like maybe he's forgetting the last twenty-two years of his life. And I sorta think, well, that if you can get Boss to forget a little, than maybe you can get Konan to forget the last five hundred years of its life, too."_

Oh, Chiro-san...

"_My brother will get a kick out of knowing I was friends with the Suzaku no Miko..."_

Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! I was so damn _sick_ of people getting hurt because of me, of people _dying_ because of _me_...!

"_You know, I never believed in anything before, but I have faith in you, Mika. I really do."_

Something hot rose up in my chest and finally found its way to my voice.

"YAMEROU!"

The heat in my chest burst out with my words, and crimson light exploded from all around me, bathing the courtyard in a brilliant red hue. The gunman lowered their weapons, staring in awe at what I can only guess was my shining body before turning their eyes to the scarlet sky. I followed their gaze, blinking as the ruby feathers of some great bird drifted down from the heavens, seeming to touch each soldier before they vanished into oblivion. The men dropped their guns as the feathers brushed at their faces, but I didn't much see what happened after that. I turned my eyes back to the ground, where three streaks of crimson spread across the clearing and then seemed to disappear into my own scarlet glow. One of those streaks, and the only one I really paid any attention to, shot out from Riki's forehead. He stared back at me, eyes wide and mouth agape, his symbol burning like a beacon across the courtyard.

For no reason at all, my eyes welled up with tears. "Riki..."

I bolted across the clearing, dropping my crutch and throwing my arms around his neck. "You IDIOT!" I berated into his shirt. "Why the _hell_ would you do all that? Why did you pick a fight with the Emperor and his Teichou, of all people? Why couldn't you just _run_, huh? Even a slimy prig like you doesn't deserve to die, not here, not like this, not for _my_ sake...!"

"Oi, Mika..." Riki pushed me back, staring at me with a half-puzzled, half-irritated frown. The glow on his forehead faded, as did the soft hue across the courtyard. "Why didn't you tell me... all this time, and you were the—?"

"Guards, stand aside please."

I whipped my head around, releasing my hold on Riki as the Emperor strode towards us, his coat still swishing regally over one shoulder. The guards fell to their knees as he passed, but the ever-defiant Riki and I kept our feet, swaying from exhaustion as we watched his approach.

Joumi rushed from the sidelines, stepping to the Emperor's side and breaking the eerie silence that hung over the clearing. "Heika, please, I've spoken with the girl myself, she is really a very sweet person, and Kuroyoku-san was merely trying to protect her, plus he _does_ have the Mark. I'll vouch for both of them, honestly I will, and she never meant any harm you know, so please—"

"Step aside, Ane-ue," he ordered, using an archaic term for Big Sister. I stared at Joumi, but before I could process this tidbit of information the Emperor faced me and ordered, "Your name?"

"K... Kasumiya Mikako," I stuttered, feeling my breath catch in my throat. The full focus of that heavenly gaze was a bit too much for my young heart to manage.

"Mikako," he repeated with a deliberate nod. "Teichou!" he called over his shoulder. The tough woman immediately rose from her bow and snapped to attention. "Escort Mikako-san and I to the Chamber. Kuroyoku-san shall follow as well. Ane-ue, you may attend if you wish. Everyone else, return to your business. It would be wise for you _not_ to mention this incident until the facts may be gathered. Teichou!"

The Teichou gripped Riki's arm and carted him off. Still dazed and staring at me in disbelief, my first seishi followed. Joumi scurried after them, shooting a fearful look in my direction, but the Emperor waited at my side, offering me his arm. I accepted somewhat hesitantly, then limped along after the others. The guards parted like the Red Sea, and soon our tiny entourage strolled through the palace gardens, heading for some unknown Chamber.

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that things were _finally_ starting to turn in my favor, but found my peace short-lived. The Emperor leaned his head down so his mouth hovered right at my ear and muttered in a low, dangerous voice that sent chills running up my spine: "Don't breathe so easily yet, girl. We've had far too many false prophets in the last decades, so don't think that just because you pulled that little light show we'll start showering you in flowers. There are methods for discovering a miko. I hope you are ready to prove your claim. If this is a trick, no god on _any _world will save you. Remember that your life does and shall always belong to me. I say this as both Emperor Meigiri V, and as your alleged 'servant,' Hotohori."

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Oba-chan – Aunt  
bishounen – Pretty boy  
Teichou – Captain  
Otoo-san – Dad  
Gomen – Sorry  
Jaa ne – (See you) Later  
Ryo – The form of money in Konan  
"Kawai sou ni" – "You poor thing"  
"Cho-warui! _Totemo_ cho-warui!" – "It's super-bad! It's _really_ super-bad!"  
cho-oishii – super-delicious  
arigatou – thank you  
Hime – Princess  
Heika – Your Majesty  
"Yamerou!" – "Stop it!"  
Ane-ue – very formal "older sister"  
**Suffixes:  
**-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids  
-dono: Super-polite term (and very old-fashioned)  
-senpai: Senior; usually used on older students

**Names Explained!  
**Meigiri Toku (迷義理 徳)– "Lost (Mei) Honor (Giri)" "Virtue (Toku)"  
Joumi (靜美)– "Quiet (Jou) Beauty (Mi)"  
Yoshimi (誼)– "Friendship/Kindness"

**Author's Note 2/6/06**

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late chapter, though I get the feeling I'll be saying that a lot now. If it makes you feel any better, the chapters are getting a little longer, so it sorta-kinda evens out... I guess. _(Nervous giggling)_ I'll try to make the chapters shorter and get them out sooner, okay? Sooo... what'd you all think of this one? Poor Mikako, I really put her through a lot in these early episodes! Things are bound to get better though, right?

Thank you Cheeto, otaku-no-miko, KittyLynne, and kitsune-firedragon for reviewing! Even though I don't have time to reply to them like I used to, I want you to know that I still reallyappreciate your input!

Next Time: Can Mikako prove that she's the Suzaku no Miko? And if she does, will the other seishi turn out to be more promising than the bitter Riki? See you next time!

/Tangerine Infinity/


	6. The Emperor's Test

**Chapter Six: The Emperor's Test (Alas, No Study Guide)  
**I followed Joumi, who followed Riki, who followed the Teichou – who I'd decided to call 'Violet' for the moment – down several of the palace's long, cobbled outer walkways, feeling more and more nervous as the seconds ticked past. The seishi formerly known as 'Heika' still walked at my side, his arm steadying my limping gait, but he hadn't said a word since his cryptic threat, and this tense silence wasn't helping my mood. _No one_ said anything, in fact, and every time Joumi glanced back at me and I opened my mouth to speak, she'd shake her head real fast and look away again. I was lucky I didn't have a heart attack before I even _got_ to the Mystery Chamber, with the mood everyone was in.

After an anxious eternity, Violet finally led us down a side path away from the bustling politicians and towards a small, out-of-the-way building tucked between a gnarled cherry tree and the palace wall. She marched up to the doors, which looked like they'd once been gilded with gold but were now just gilded with grime, and rapped hard on the crumbling wood. I swear the whole building shook, it was that decrepit. A moment later the wobbly door creaked open and a bald, frightened head poked out.

"Yes, Teichou?" the man asked, sounding half-annoyed and half-scared out of his mind.

"We have another one," Violet said. I blinked. The bald man blinked, then scanned our group until his eyes fell on the Emperor. He squeaked and practically threw himself to the ground in a groveling bow.

"H-heika! You're here! And this—" he glanced at me. I waved back nervously. "This is one of them?"

One of _what_?

Hotohori nodded. "She has promise. She performed an interesting parlor trick in the courtyard. I thought it necessary to perform the rites."

"One who claims to be the Miko..." he whispered. "That's the second one this month."

"Konan is desperate for a messiah," Hotohori remarked with a shrug.

"Well, if that's how it is, then please come in. My brothers and I shall make the preparations."

I raised my hand timidly. "Um, I'd just like to point out that _I_ never said I was the Miko..."

But they all ignored me, except Riki, who shot me a glare that couldn't decide if it wanted to be pissed off or just completely confused. It leaned more towards pissed off, so I stuck my tongue out in reply. That's me, the master of mature retorts.

Baldy, who I'd figured out by now was a monk of sorts, opened the doors fully and stepped back, bowing low as our little entourage passed. I thought it might be nice to say something encouraging to the scared guy, but all I could think of was, 'Look on the bright side: you're not _me_' which didn't seem terribly optimistic. So I just followed everyone into the shrine, blanketed under that same bloody silence.

In fairness to the monks, the inside of the shrine was very clean. That's about all the good I can say about it, though. The crumbling ceiling, peeling walls, and cracked pillars practically screamed for a renovation – I'd guess they hadn't done repairs on the rotting building for at least fifty years, maybe even more – and while the Suzaku statue shone brightly at the center of the room, I definitely noticed some chips on its golden body, and one of its tail feathers had completely broken off. No wonder Konan was in such a mess: if I was Suzaku, I'd have been pretty ticked off at the state of my graven images.

"Come with me, Ojou-san," one of the older monks murmured, gesturing towards a wash bin at the side of the shrine. "We'll need to purify you. If you could please remove your clothes behind—"

But I didn't hear the rest of his sentence because I promptly jerked off my blouse, tossing it to the side and struggling to push my skirt down around my knee splint. "With pleasure! I've been wearing these stupid things for almost two days, and they haven't been an easy two days, either. You might need to use some stain remover on the skirt, there's some blood on the hem..." I blinked at the old monk, who was staring back at me – I was now stripped to my knickers, by the way – with an expression of total shock on his face. I turned, noticing the same look of surprise pasted on my four companions' brows. "What?"

"Uh... Ojou-san... as I was saying... please remove your clothes behind _that_," he pointed near the wash basin to a Suzaku-patterned folding screen, "so that our shrine maidens might purify you and dress you in a more ceremonial robe."

I blushed, remembering this culture's quaint ideas about 'decency' before others. "Oh." I glanced back at Riki, glaring daggers at his open-mouthed expression (Hotohori, for his part, had respectfully averted his eyes). "Oh, stop drooling already! I thought you didn't go for flat-chested brats."

"Hey, if a girl _invites_ you to look, you don't turn down the invitation. It'd be rude."

I slipped off my shoe and flung it across the shrine, pinging Riki right between the eyes. "And since when have _you_ worried about being polite? Scumbag." I turned back to the monk, smiling sweetly. "I'll be out in a moment."

I ducked behind the curtain and was immediately attacked by a pair of pale young women in the red robes of shrine maidens. They stripped off my remaining clothing and poured a bucket of freezing water over my head, all the while muttering creepy, guttural chants under their breaths about purification and Suzaku's truth and other stuff that didn't really make sense. I didn't catch a lot of the words, to be honest, because I was too busy shivering and getting shoved into a crimson robe. One of the girls belted my newest garment around the waist with a white sash, tied it off in the back, grumbled one last blessing into my face, then shoved me out from behind the curtain. My bad leg nearly gave out again, but I managed to steady myself against a pillar before facing the small crowd, feeling about as _little_ like a Miko as possible. "What's next on the torture list, Monk-san?"

The elderly monk – he must've been the leader, with the way he was ordering me around – offered me his hand and made a sweeping gesture towards the shrine. "It is time for the test," he said in a grand, elevated voice. I guess I was supposed to feel awed. I really just felt more puzzled than anything.

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

Instead of answering, he led me towards the Suzaku statue, where two other monks had just managed to get a fire going in the brazier at the beast god's feet. The elderly monk released his hold on my arm, bowing low to the shrine and taking a couple of hurried steps back and leaving me alone. I stared up at the golden phoenix, frowning at the crack in his beak. I hadn't noticed that from a distance.

After a moment of respectful silence in which absolutely nothing happened, I turned around and said, "Okay, now what?"

"Suzaku will give us a sign. If you are truly his chosen one, he shall make that message known unto us through you."

"Okay, and how's he supposed to do that? Do I need to call to him? Touch the statue? Do a little dance and sing some sort of creepy chant like the shrine girls were doing?"

The old monk frowned at me. Maybe he didn't like me calling his purification ritual a 'creepy chant.' "You are the alleged Miko. You should know how to call upon our master."

I stared at him for a good, long second. Finally I cocked my eyebrow and pointed an accusing finger at his chest. "You haven't the faintest idea what's supposed to happen, do you?"

His eyes widened and he glared at me like I'd just found out what girl he had a crush on - well, I guess that analogy doesn't really work for a monk, but you get the idea. "Th... there's no need for me to explain the details of Suzaku's holy message, otherwise you might attempt to forge the ritual. When Suzaku blesses you, it shall be made known to all of us, and through no counterfeit action of your own."

"You _don't_ know!"

"Return your attention to the shrine, Ojou-san, or we shall immediately name you as a False Prophet!" the old monk snapped in a huff.

Someone nearby snickered. I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see that it was Riki. At least _he_ looked amused by all of this. I was personally getting a bit peeved. How did these monks expect me to pass their test when they didn't even have the answer sheet? I heaved a sigh and did as the old one said, turning back to the shrine and staring hard into the flame. _'Hey, Suzaku...'_ I thought to myself, feeling extremely silly. _'If you're going to speak up for me, now would be a _really_ good time to do it_.

Another few seconds passed. Then a minute. Maybe two minutes. Still, absolutely nothing happened. I just kept staring into the fire, feeling like a complete idiot. Finally the elderly monk touched his hand to my shoulder and called out across the chamber. "I suspected this from the moment she arrived. She is far too unrefined to be the Suzaku no Miko. Heika, I leave her to your care."

The old monk tugged on my shoulder. My head whipped around to see my four companions heading towards me. My eyes flicked first to Hotohori, who was stalking forward with a very angry, very murderous fire in his eyes. "_Another_ fraud?" he grumbled under his breath. "These girls don't know when to give up, do they...?"

Joumi tugged at his arm. "Please, Heika, she's really a very _nice_ person, I swear, I—"

Violet kept her eyes on the Emperor, cold and unfeeling as always. But Riki watched me, darkness clouding his already dark eyes, as if to say 'See? Just like I said. The legend is just a bunch of BS.'

For some reason, that look, above everything else, _really_ pissed me off. They told me I was the Miko before I said anything about it, then they asked me to complete a test that didn't have a known answer, and _now_ they wanted to stamp 'False Prophet' across my forehead and have me hanged or something, all because of _their_ stupid assumptions! And Riki, of all people, who had more right to believe than anyone else – whose life I'd saved just minutes earlier, the little prig – now had the gall to stare at me like I'd just proven all his smug, ignorant ideas about the world _right_? Like _hell_ I'd settle for that!

"Suzaku's not finished yet you bastards!" I roared, feeling that same hot feeling building up in my chest again. I shook off the old monk's arm and whirled back to face the fire. Something clouded up my eyes, the heat in my chest rose until it felt like exploding, and the next thing I knew I'd jerked my hands forward and plunged them into the crimson flames.

Darkness engulfed me and I plunged down into some great abyss, or at least it felt that way, though I stayed upright the entire time. Flames and feathers swirled around me out of the gloom; and the sound of seven voices, talking and begging and crying over one another, so that all I could really hear was a barrage of agonized noise; and through the darkness a shiny crimson mirror rose up, reflecting my image back at me, except I was covered in a shining red light; and then as I drew closer my face in the mirror disappeared, replaced by a pair of scarlet eyes, staring back at me through a veil of shadows; and then the mirror drew closer, and I raised my arms to protect myself from the glass, and some great bird screamed and flames rose up around me...

I jerked my hands away, stumbling back from the fire and collapsing into the soft folds of Joumi's robes. I stared blankly at the statue and trembled from head to toe, though with exhaustion or fear I couldn't really say. A tear slipped from each of my eyes, and a matching one, crimson in color, dropped from the Suzaku statue's gold-gilded eye.

"Mika-chan..." Joumi murmured, stroking my hair in one of soft, perfect hands.

"He was crying," I finally gasped, pulling from her embrace and walking back to the statue. I touched a hand reverently to the great Phoenix's foot, wondering why I felt so terribly sad all of a sudden. "They all were... crying, and asking me to make those tears stop. But I don't understand... it was never like that, for her..."

I turned to look at the others and found that they were staring straight back at me, wide-eyed – and Riki's eyes were the widest of all. After a moment of incredibly awkward silence, one of the monks stammered. "Y-you glowed... your entire body shone, like you were _made_ of light..."

"And that call..." another monk managed to get out. "You all heard it, right? The cry of the Phoenix, and the way the statue lit up..."

"And the tears!" another monk cried, pointing upwards to the trails of crimson that had left little rivulets in the statue's feathered cheeks. "The tears of a god! Suzaku has heard our pleas, he has seen our suffering! He's sent us a Miko to save our nation!"

The monks, even the old one who'd been so flustered before, prostrated themselves on the ground, filling the shrine with a muttered prayer of joy. I turned my eyes upwards to the Emperor and his group, though I was really looking at Riki. I smiled weakly, one eyebrow cocked slightly in my very favorite 'I told you so' look. "That good enough proof for you, or should I throw my whole body into the stupid fire this time?"

"Okita-san, please keep this between you and the other monks," Hotohori murmured. "I shall make an official announcement later this evening."

The eldest monk – I guess his name was Okita, then – nodded once before resuming his prostration routine. I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, but before I could ask them all to stop the Emperor turned to me, placing a smooth hand against my arm. "I apologize for doubting you, Mikako-san. We have had so many young women attempt to trick us over the past few years that I fear I have become quite skeptical. Please, allow me to make it up to you by way of dinner in my private chamber. You must be famished."

I nodded and my stomach immediately agreed. "That _would _be nice. Um..." I glanced over at Joumi and Riki, who were still watching me like I'd just stepped off of a spaceship. Even Violet looked mildly impressed. "What about them?"

"They shall join us, of course," Hotohori answered with a charming smile. Wow, a girl could fall in love with that smile. "Ane-ue seems quite taken with you, after all, and Riki _is_ one of our fellow warriors. Teichou, I would request your presence as well. We need to discuss the new situation."

"As you wish, Heika," she answered with a short nod. I guess she recovers from surprises quicker than most. Riki and Joumi were _still_ gaping at me.

I leaned forward and poked both of them in the nose. "Konan to Joumi-senpai, Konan to Asshole. Do you read, Joumi-senpai and Asshole?" They each blinked twice, seeming to finally come out of their little trance, but they still kept staring at me. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "C'mon, it's not like I sprouted an extra arm y'know. And if you're going to treat me like a Miko, then at _least_ carry me to Hotohori's chamber or something. I'm too hungry to be impressed, so you should do the same."

Joumi chuckled. "Mika-chan, as soon as I met you I thought that you would make a marvelous Miko. Now, I _know_ you will."

Riki shook his head as if to wake himself from a dream. His familiar scowl returned after a moment and he snorted, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning towards the exit. "So where's this food again? And it's free, right? I'm not paying, now that I'm some kinda stupid bodyguard to this brat."

I knew that was just Riki's way of reacting to the shock, and that he didn't really _mean_ to sound like such a jerk. If anything, he was probably a little _pleased_ that I'd proven myself, since I'd basically just saved both of our lives again. I knew all of that, and I knew that he'd even helped me out earlier that day, almost dying to protect me, in his own roundabout way. I knew I was kind of grateful to him for that, even if he'd been an idiot about it. And I knew that I'd try to help him out, if I could. That was my duty as the Miko, and – though he'd never admit it – as his friend.

But I still socked him in the face.

oOo

"Itadakimasu!"

I grabbed a plate and attacked the five platters that sat across the Emperor's small dining table, scooping up bits and pieces of each delicious main course, side dish, soup, and of course rice. One can never have a _real_ Asian meal without a bowl of rice, y'know. By the time I was finished my plate was almost overflowing with some sort of chicken in a honey-like glaze, and brown, sweet-smelling noodles kept trying to ooze over the edge of my plate. I tried to retain some form of manners, since I _was_ in the Emperor's presence and all, but I hadn't eaten hardly anything that day – just a few pieces of fruit from the gardens that morning – and my stomach was currently in the process of sticking itself to my spine. I slurped my soup with a vengeance (I still have no idea what it's called, but it was spicy with a nice little tinge of sour as the aftertaste, filled with slices of tofu, chicken, and tiny bamboo shoots. Delicious!), keeping one ear open to the casual conversation going on around me. Or, rather, to Hotohori and Joumi, who seemed to be the only people in the room who wanted to talk to each other. Riki was busy inhaling his food with a lot less decorum than me, and Violet just liked sitting quietly all the time, I guess. Well, whatever.

"So, Mikako-san, how long have you been in Konan?"

I glanced up, surprised to hear the Emperor speaking to me. I gulped down the chicken I'd been munching and took a quick sip of tea, counting up the past few, action-filled days on my fingers. "Not very long at all, though it feels about like a lifetime. This is only my third day." I held my bowl out to Joumi. "Could I have some more of that fried rice, with the little veggies in it? It's cho-oishii."

Joumi chuckled. "You certainly have an appetite."

"I guess so. Usually I'm happy with second helpings at most, but these are all new recipes to me, so I'm enjoying the new tastes. Plus I'm starving. Sorry if I haven't been the best conversationist since we got here."

"That's quite all right," Joumi assured me, refilling my bowl. She watched me for a moment as I went back on the offensive with my meal, then out of nowhere said, "Have you met any of your other seishi, by chance?"

"The only people I've met since I got here are you four, my friend Chiro-san, and some dead guys. So, no, just Riki and His Highness." I washed down some noodles with a gulp of water. "Geez, I'm stuffed. I don't think I could eat another bite."

Riki's chopsticks flew out of nowhere and snatched the few remaining pieces of chicken off my plate. "All finished? Then I'll take these off your hands."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't you know how to talk to people? You've just been sitting there stuffing your face like a pig all night."

My former boss glared across the table at the three palace residents. "What d'you expect me to say? This is the friggin' weirdest dinner party I've ever attended. Not an hour ago these same people were about to kill me, y'know that? And now they're treating me like royalty. Well I'm not gonna complain, but I see how fast their devotions turn, so I'm gonna get as much of this food down my throat before they change their minds about letting me stay here for free and all." He lapsed back into silence, shooting suspicious glances at us – even at _me_, for Buddha's sake – every couple of minutes or so.

"Sorry about him," I murmured, resisting the urge to smack him again. "Sadly, he was born without a conscience. It's a terribly crippling disease."

"Indeed," Hotohori murmured dryly. He glanced down at my empty plate, then around the table at the rest of us – minus Riki, of course – who had stopped eating. "Well, if we're all finished, maybe we could get on to some form of business? I personally haven't the faintest idea what we're going to do about all of this – it's a bit confusing, really – but," he turned that oh-so-charming smile on me again, and I all but oozed back into my seat, "I must say I'm very glad that you are with us, Mikako-san. You are the best bit of confusion Konan has seen in a long while."

"Are things really all that bad?" I asked.

"The situation is... not good," Hotohori agreed. "Since you've traveled through the center of town, I'm sure you've seen the gang members clogging the streets, all but _running_ the downtown area. The military simply cannot keep up with the sheer number of outlaws, these days. Worse than that, the people in the Empire constantly whisper behind policemen's backs, talking of rebellion. The East District of the capitol is all but overrun with so-called 'Revolutionaries,' though they're really just glorified street punks. The Council fears so much for Ane-ue's life – and my own, of course – that neither of us has been outside the palace gates in over a year."

"Maybe if you fed your people as well as you feed yourself they wouldn't be so eager to kick you out of the palace," Riki grumbled into his rice bowl, though I'm pretty sure I was the only one who heard him.

"Yeah, that sounds pretty rotten," I agreed, kicking my first seishi under the table in an effort to shut him up. The last thing we needed was another fight, not after we'd finally all gotten a little civil with each other. "But there isn't much I can do until we find the other seishi."

"That's true," Hotohori agreed, setting his chin on his laced fingers. "I tell you all of this for a reason, you know. I want you to understand how difficult it will be for you to conduct a search of the kingdom. Your life would be in grave danger, especially if the people knew your identity. Some of them wish for revolution so badly they would even destroy their savior, if they thought you would aid the palace."

"Yeah, but I can't just sit around getting massages and grapes hand-fed to me and _wait_ for the seishi to show up," I reminded him. "I've got a mission here, and danger or no danger I plan to see it through."

Hotohori smiled. "I admire your courage, Mikako-san. However, I don't think there will be a need for you to put yourself in much danger quite yet. Teichou," his eyes darted towards the steel woman at his side, and she immediately sprang to attention, "will you mind placing someone else in charge of palace security for a few days?"

"My second-in-command could handle it, Heika," Violet agreed, though _very_ reluctantly. "But what would be the need?"

"I want you to conduct a search of the country. Send out your men, your spies too if you must, and see if you can locate the rest of the seishi. You will focus only on that task until we have located the rest of our warriors. Then you, Mikako-san, can fetch them in relative safety." I opened my mouth to protest – I really doubted the seishi would just jump up and wave their arms around, saying 'Oh, yeah, I'm Mitsukake, you found me, congratulations,' _especially_ after the way Riki had reacted – but the Emperor cut me off. He seemed to like doing that to people. "Teichou, you will tell me every scrap of information you find, no matter how small. Leave nothing a secret, do you understand?"

Violet lowered her eyes. "Wakarimashita, Heika."

"Very good. Now—"

"I have some information to share with you, Heika."

All of our eyes jerked around to land on Violet again. Riki cocked an eyebrow. "Damn, nice spy network ya got there, Violet." Apparently he was only speaking in sarcastic quips that evening, I thought with an inward growl.

"You already know something?" Hotohori said, ignoring Riki (probably the best thing to do with that little git, really. I should've thought of it myself).

"Hai, Heika."

Silence filled the room for a moment. Then, from Hotohori, a somewhat impatient, "Well?"

Violet stood, took a short step back, then reached under the table and picked up the entire wooden structure with one hand – no, correction, with one _finger_! She set it down a moment later, then slowly unsnapped the top two buttons on her shirt, lifting back the left side to reveal a glowing crimson symbol on her collarbone.

"'Willow...'" Joumi read in a breathless whisper.

I waved weakly at the strong woman standing across from me, feeling extremely silly. I knew I had recognized that crazy strength from _somewhere_, but I'd been so ready for a beautiful feminine man that I'd forgotten to look out for a beautiful masculine woman. "Oh. Hi, Nuriko."

"Why did you not say anything sooner?" Hotohori practically demanded.

"I was afraid that it would interfere with my work," she explained, buttoning her shirt up again and taking a seat beside her Emperor and fellow seishi. "My primary goal is to protect you, Heika, and I didn't want anything to get in the way of that. However, since you _did_ give me a direct order, I thought I should follow it."

"That sorta makes sense," I remarked, feeling like I ought to stick up for the duty-bound Teichou, seeing as how Joumi just sat there with her mouth open and Hotohori kept glaring accusing daggers at her. Riki was, of course, too interested in his cup of sake to really care one way or the other. I stuck out a hand, smiling pleasantly at my newest seishi. Sure, she was kind of scary, but my Oba-chan's Nuriko hadn't been friendly at first, either. It was probably just a front she put on at work so the men would take her seriously. "It's great to have you with us, Nuriko! Welcome to the team!"

Violet, or 'Nuriko' now, stared at my hand somewhat blankly, then accepted it with her own powerful handshake. "Thank you for your kind welcome, Mikako-san."

"Hey, c'mon, what's with all these 'san' suffixes flying around the room, first from Hotohori-sama and now from you? Just call me Mikako, or Mika if you're feeling lazy. All of my friends do, back home, so—"

The blaring ring of a phone echoed through the spacious chamber, cutting me off and interrupting the dinner conversation. Hotohori arose, stepped quickly to his desk, and picked up a shiny black phone sitting at the edge. "Moshi-moshi... Takeda-san, I am entertaining some guests... Can it wait? This is very – what?... No, I don't want that... Yes, yes, I understand. Fine... Yes... I'll be there shortly. I have some interesting news to tell the Council as well. Good-bye."

Hotohori slammed down the receiver, heaving a tired sigh. Joumi frowned. "Another meeting, is it?"

"As if they haven't already _made_ their damned decision," the Emperor grumbled. He turned to face us again, flashing a strained but still incredibly attractive smile. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I've been called away to a Council Meeting. Please forgive my rudeness, Mikako-san."

"Forgiven," I said immediately. Come on, like _anyone_ could stay mad at that face. "And no 'san,' remember?"

"Mikako, then. Would you mind returning to my chamber this evening? Around eight or so? There are still several things I'd like to speak with you about."

I shrugged. "I'm not exactly busy. It shouldn't be a problem."

He nodded. "Good. I'll take my leave of you all, then. You're dismissed. Oh, and Tei – I mean, Nuriko? Would you mind escorting Mikako to the baths and then to her room? I'm sure she would like to clean up and rest after such a hectic day, and it would give the two of you time to get acquainted."

"Heika!" Nuriko stood hurriedly, pressing her hands into the table and nearly cracking the wood in half. "This... new development... my being a seishi, I mean... it won't change anything between us, will it? I'm still the Captain of the Palace Guard, am I not?"

"Naturally," he said. "You're far too talented for me to let go."

"I still live only to serve you, Heika. Do not forget that."

He smiled. "Of course you do, Nuriko. And I'm _telling_ you to serve Mikako, now."

She bowed her head, apparently beaten, though I didn't have any idea why she looked so beaten in the first place. "Hai, Heika."

"Ane-ue, look after our silent seishi friend while I'm gone. Make sure he does not anger any _other_ high officials."

Joumi glanced at Riki, who shot her a look that was positively murderous. She glanced back at the Emperor, stammering a terrified, "I-I'll try, Toku-dono."

"That's as good as any of us could hope, I think." He swept his jacket back up over his shoulder and offered me another dazzling smile and a short, elegant bow. "Until tonight then, Mikako."

And then he closed the door and left, taking my melted maiden heart with him.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Teichou – Captain  
Heika – Highness/Your Majesty  
Ojou-san – literally "daughter," but it's used on girls by older men, too  
Ane-ue – Respectful term for "big sister"  
Itadakimasu – Let's eat, Thanks for the meal, etc.  
cho-oishii – super-delicious  
Wakarimashita – Understood (somewhat formal)  
Oba-chan – Aunt  
Moshi-moshi – Hello (only used on the telephone)

**Suffixes:  
**-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids  
-dono: Super-polite term (and very old-fashioned)

**Author's Note 3/23/06  
**Hello! Wow, sorry about the wait on this chapter. I promised to make it shorter, and I did, but I also promised to get them out quicker, which I 100-percent _didn't_. I'm working on a couple of other projects, and this one hasn't really been at the front of my mind in a while. Was it worth the wait, though? Another seishi, and Mikako's already fallen for the smooth Emperor! Hopefully it turns out well for her, right? I've got the next one pretty well mapped out, but it's going to be a little longer, too, so don't be surprised if it doesn't show up until the end of April or early May. I'll work hard on it though, I promise!

Thank you kitsune-firedragon, Merodi-chan, Tlizerz, KittyLynne, Diana-sama, and SilverSlippers for reviewing! They were all awesome reviews! Oh, and congratulations to KittyLynne for noticing the similarities between Violet and Nuriko, and also congratulations to Tlizerz who pointed out the "three points of light" thing! I was hoping someone would pick up on all of that:)

Next Time: Mikako gets a chance to meet her newest seishi, but are they destined to disappoint her? And wait... what's Hotohori _doing_? See you next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	7. Awkward Moments

**Chapter Seven: Awkward Moments (And Infuriating Seishi!)**  
I wish I had some exciting stories to tell about my walk to the baths, or even about the bath itself, but both were painfully boring considering the things that had happened to me over the past few days. Personally, I welcomed the change of pace, and hoped – in vain, of course – that things might stay this way for a bit.

The palace had a gorgeous pool for a "bath," with steam rising off every inch of it. I bathed outside of the water as quickly as I could, desperate to feel that sizzling hot water on my tense skin. It doesn't really matter how advanced my country gets, I guess – we Japanese are going to love our baths until the end of the world. Heck, we'll probably wind up taking refuge at a hot springs when the meteor hits. That would suit me just fine.

The waters were wonderfully relaxing, and I was finally starting to feel a little bit like a real Suzaku no Miko. If I had _anything_ to complain about, it would be the awful silence that filled the baths pretty much the whole time I was there. Nuriko accompanied me, like Hotohori had ordered, but conversation wasn't exactly her strong point, so we didn't say much. After almost ten minutes of glancing at her, opening my mouth to say something, then sighing and sinking deeper into the steamy water, I finally decided on, "So how long have you been working in the palace?"

"Two years," she said.

I waited for some details. When she rewarded my patience with more annoying silence, I remarked, "That doesn't seem like much time. And you're already the Teichou? That's pretty impressive!"

"I suppose."

Tendrils of smoke rose up between us. I wished the stupid things would form a _barrier_ between us. At least then I could pretend like I was alone and not feel the need to make one-sided conversation. "I know I'm not supposed to ask other women this question, but how old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-five."

"And already head of the palace guards? That's cho-impressive!" I only gave her about two seconds to add something this time, and when (of course) she didn't, I hit her with, "So what got you interested in this kind of work? It seems like an awfully tough job, and judging by everyone else I've seen around here it doesn't look like a lot of women sign up for it."

Nuriko closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall of the bath, though she was so tense she still managed to look like she was standing at attention. "My father was a four-star general during the Hokkan War. He would have become a five-star, but a mortar took his leg. He dreamed of having a son to whom he could pass on his legacy. He received me. So, I became the soldier in place of the son that never existed."

Wow, I got a paragraph out of her. Sure, it was the kind of paragraph a lazy middle school kid writes, but a paragraph all the same. "That was nice of you."

"I suppose."

"Must've been tough, though."

She shrugged. I could've screamed.

"Do you like it?"

"It's what I do."

"Well, I _know _that…" I was starting to feel like I was talking to a stubborn five-year old, with the way this was going, "I just meant, all this military stuff, and looking after the Emperor and all. Is it fun?"

"I would hardly call what happened today 'fun.' But it has its rewards."

"Was there anything else you wanted to do?"

She spared me a small glance. It was the first time she'd really acknowledged me since we'd arrived in the baths. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when you were little, did you ever say to yourself 'I wanna be a painter!' or 'I wanna play professional baseball!' or did you always wanna follow in your dad's footsteps?"

Nuriko stared at me for a few seconds, blinking hard. I couldn't decide what surprised me more – her total confusion, or the fact that I'd gotten a response out of that impassive face. After a moment, she said slowly, "I'm not sure what you mean. I have never been allowed to _want_ anything in my life."

…What?

My third seishi stood, stepping lightly over the side of the bath. "I'm finished in here. The servants can take you to your room, unless you would prefer that I guide you."

I realized that I was staring at her open-mouthed, but I couldn't help it. What she'd said had officially wiped every coherent thought out of my brain except _How in Buddha's name was someone _allowed_ to want things?_

"Miko-sama?"

"Eh?" I blinked and shook my head, trying to bring my eyes back into focus and remember what she'd just asked me. "Oh, uh, no. That's fine. You've probably got things to do anyway, so I won't bug you. Go… go ahead. The servants'll take care of it." She nodded sharply, wrapped a towel around her surprisingly feminine form, and turned to go, but at the last second I stopped her. "Hey, Nuriko… you don't have to call me Miko-sama, okay? That's really formal, and it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"What shall I call you then?"

I opened my mouth to say _'Mika,'_ but changed my mind. I smiled and said instead, "Whatever you _want_, I guess."

She stared at me again, probably in the same way I'd stared at her before. Boy, but we sure were good at this confusing each other thing, even if we sucked at regular conversation. "H… hai, Mikako."

"Oh, and Nuriko?"

"Mm?"

"I know we started off kind of rough with the whole prison thing, and you trying to kill Riki and all – though personally I've kinda wanted to kill him for a while too, so I can't really blame you for that… but anyway, now that things're settling down, well… I hope we can be friends, okay?"

"If Hotohori-sama wishes it," she said. "Good-bye for now, Mikako." She offered me one short, tense bow, in which she reminded me just how much cleavage I _didn't_ have, then turned on her heel and marched out, leaving me alone.

I stared into the steaming bath water for a moment, trying to digest what she'd said. I gave myself a headache just thinking about it. Maybe it was how my parents raised me; or the way society had told me from the day I was born that "you can be anything you want to be!" (of course they'd kinda gone back on that once I got to high school, where they explained to me that "you can be anything you want to be, except a doctor, because I'm sorry honey but you're science score on the entrance exam was cho-warui"); or maybe it was just that I was stubborn as hell, but I couldn't even _begin_ to comprehend this seishi.

"If Hotohori-sama wishes it…" I mused while the servant girls were slipping me into a comfortable summer dress, while I was being led down the hall to my room, and even once I was splayed out on my bed. "If Hotohori-sama _wishes_ it… What in the _hell_ is that supposed to _mean_? Does she want to be friends or not? Why couldn't she just come right out and say 'I hate your guts' if that's what she's trying to say? Or better yet, how about a simple, 'I hope so too, Mikako.' Or maybe she's not allowed to have friends without someone else's permission, either…"

Someone rapped sharply on my door, interrupting my train of thought, which may have been the best thing since that train was gradually heading towards a cliff of no return. I didn't bother to rise, but instead rolled over and called, "Come on in, it's not locked!"

The door slid backwards to reveal a tall, dark and handsome figure standing in the frame. I wish I could've been as excited as the description would suggest, but it was just Riki. He took one look at me and snorted. "Not two hours here and you're already too lazy to get up off your ass and answer the door! I knew this place was gonna be bad for my health, not to mention my business."

"What does my relaxing have to do with your business?"

"You think I want my cook lying down on the job?"

"You think I'm still your cook? I'm the Suzaku no Miko, you stupid git."

"And _I'm_ your boss, you flat-chested brat." He plopped down on the end of my bed without so much as an 'excuse me,' then proceeded to study his reflection in the nearby mirror. "Remember, you still owe me for saving you from those slave traders out in Kutou."

"Those were _your employees, _baka!"

He scowled. "Oh, so you remembered that, did you?"

"It was only three days ago," I grumbled, watching as he fluffed up his hair and grinned back at his reflection. I could've smacked him again, but was too tired by that point to bother. It wasn't like it did a lick of good on this stubborn prig anyway. "What're you doing in here? Or didn't they give you a mirror in your own room?"

"What? I can't check in on my dear little Miko-sama?" He had his back to me, but I still caught the sarcastic smirk through the mirror, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to grab him by the collar and chuck him out of my room – on second thought, out of the _country_! – when he grinned like that. "After all, I'm _so _dedicated to you, my beloved Miko-sama, that I just couldn't stand the thought of being away from you for more than a few minutes. My heart nearly _died _from the agony!"

"Ah. So you came here to be an ass." I shoved myself off of the bed and stormed over to a nearby bookshelf, snatching out the first one I could grab and snapping it open to somewhere in the middle. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at his behavior, but it was still starting to rub me raw! I mean, here I was, his _Miko_, for heaven's sake, and he couldn't even give me a tiny _sliver_ of respect? Maybe that cost him too much money too, I thought with a snarl, and slammed the book shut again. Why was he still sitting on my bed, and why could I feel his eyes practically boring a hole into my back?

"Yes?" I finally said with more than a little impatience, trying to find something else to keep me busy. Maybe if he saw me so enraptured by the little black box in the corner – wait, was that a _television? _– he'd finally go away…

"Be careful tonight," he murmured suddenly.

I blinked. Hold on. What?

I turned slowly, still blinking like a bat caught in a flashlight beam, and stared at him for a moment, trying to work out what he'd just said. What was up with my seishi and confusing the hell out of me lately? "Um, excuse me?"

He gritted his teeth and glanced up at me through his bangs. It looked like it took every ounce of his strength to say it again. "Be careful. Tonight, I mean. With the Emperor."

"Eh? Is _that_ why you came here?" He nodded and I laughed. Now his eyes did shoot up to meet mine, and they didn't exactly looked pleased, and that only made me laugh harder.

"And what the hell is so funny?" he half-snarled, raising a hand to the bedpost as if deciding whether he should beat me to the floor or storm out of the room.

I sat down hard in one of the nearby chairs, still trying – and failing – to suppress my chuckles. "Whew, I'm sorry, Riki, but that's gotta be one of the _weirdest_ things I've ever heard. I never thought I'd hear you say anything like _that_ to anyone, let alone to me!" I cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward, grinning at him teasingly. "You sure that seishi loyalty thing isn't kicking in?"

"Don't be stupid!" he yelled so loudly that I nearly fell out of my chair. "This doesn't have a damn thing to do with loyalty, or with my being your seishi, or with _none_ of it! I make my own rules, remember? And there's nothing you or anyone else in this palace can do to change my mind on that!" He folded his arms over his chest and turned away, almost like a pouting little kid. "I just… owe you, is all. With those guards, from earlier. They would've killed me if you hadn't done… whatever you did... so I owe you one for that. And now I'm repaying it. We're even. That's _all_ this is about, okay?"

I sighed and slumped over the back of my chair. "No fair. I was starting to think you'd developed a heart, or at least something red and lumpy that _resembled_ a heart. But I guess those are too expensive too, huh?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never dealt in organ swapping."

I rolled my eyes and glanced across the table, noticing a small white box in the corner. It took me a moment to recognize it as an old-fashioned icebox… wait, no, wrong time period. It was a mini-fridge. I licked my lips. _Man, but could I go for something cold and bubbly right about now. _I hopped out of my chair again and limped towards the mini-fridge, watching the sulking Riki out of the corner of my eye. "Well thanks, I guess. But you're 'repayment' is a little lame. Why would I need to be careful around Hotohori?" I popped open the refrigerator door and glanced inside, eyes scanning several colorful aluminum cans and a couple of plastic bottles filled with water. The colorful cans looked more inviting, so I grabbed one and cracked open the lid. At least that was _one _thing I was familiar with. The pop-top never had gotten around to evolving – or maybe it had just been perfect from the very beginning. I took a sip of the cool liquid, relieved to find it fizzy on my tongue, and turned back to my first seishi again. "I mean, I know he can be kind of dangerous, and maybe he isn't the best _leader_ in the world, but he's been perfectly civil to me."

"Once he found out who you are," Riki reminded me.

"He was suspicious at first. It's understandable. He said so himself."

Riki snorted. "You sound like one of those sniveling palace girls, falling all over their darling Heika." He stalked over to the mini-fridge and helped himself to one of the drinks.

I bristled. "Would it have killed you to say 'please'?"

He popped open the lid and went on as if he hadn't heard me. Rotten bugger. "I've heard stories, is all I'm gonna say. The Emperor is used to getting what he wants, and it doesn't matter if other people want it or not. _And _he's sort of… interested… in you. He's gotta be, or he wouldn't've wanted this to be some big private deal."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't mind spending some private time with him," I retorted. "Maybe I like him."

Riki chuckled darkly. "Not in the way he likes you." He glanced up, and for a tiny second I could've sworn I saw a speck of concern in his eyes, but it was gone before I could tell for certain. "All I know is, the palace residents – men _and_ women – gave him the nickname 'The Iron Dove' when he took the throne, and they call him that for a reason. There's steel under that silky voice and that bishounen face, you got me? So keep your guard up and those crazy cat claws of yours ready." He took a long sip from his own can, taking his sweet time swallowing before looking up again and flashing me a sarcastic smirk. "It'd suck if I almost got killed for no reason."

I rolled my eyes. "Glad to see you're so worried about me" I took another sip of my drink – some kind of soda, though I couldn't figure out the exact flavor just yet – and watched Riki through the edges of my bangs. "Nee, prick?"

"Prick?" he narrowed his eyes. "What happened to 'asshole' and 'you stupid git'?"

"I'm expanding my vocabulary," I answered sweetly. He scowled and grumbled something rude on his breath. I giggled, but forced back my semi-good humor and stared at him, waiting until I had his full attention before continuing. "Listen… I know this is all sort of sudden, my being the Suzaku no Miko and all…"

"You could've at least _told_ me," he growled. "Ran halfway across th' country with a friggin' Miko in my truck!"

"Hey, I didn't know about it myself!" I snapped right back, but when I caught the skeptical look in his eye I scratched my nose and glanced down again. "Or at least, I didn't know _for certain_… agh, but that's not the point!" I set my empty can down on the nearby table and turned to Riki, watching him carefully, trying to judge how that unpredictable temper of his might react to what I had to say. "The point is, I'm sorry you got dragged into this. I didn't _mean_ for you to, but you did. And you are who you are, there's no denying that. You're my seishi, Tamahome. And I need you're help to summon Suzaku."

His jaw clenched and I could've sworn I saw a flash of crimson flare around his body. "Shove it up your ass."

My mouth dropped at his blunt refusal. "But… But I thought…"

"Listen, kid, just because I repaid my debt doesn't mean I'm gonna start following you around, throwing flowers at your feet. I've got a business to run, remember? I've got much more important things to do than chase around some flat-chested brat who thinks she's on some holy mission from the gods."

"'More important things'? What could be more important than _this_?" I demanded, gesturing towards the walls around us. "Konan needs you, Riki! And you think you can just—"

Riki raised his head up to meet my gaze, and without saying a thing he completely snapped off my words. I took a step back, surprised by the bitterness in his eyes – and something else, though I couldn't place it right then and there. Something that almost looked like sorrow, but a sorrow ten times more painful than anything I'd ever seen before. Something that went deeper than the here and now. Something that spanned centuries. But how…?

"_Konan_ needs me?" he repeated, each word slipping out in a dangerous, disbelieving whisper. "And which Konan would _that_ be, Mika? Is it the one your beloved Emperor runs, the one that couldn't pay for my high school 'cause they put all the lower-income education money into war funds? Or is this the Konan that the Council runs, the Konan that damn near had me executed 'cause I beat the piss out of some asshole politician trying to get his kicks by forcing himself on my cashier? Or maybe you're talking about the Konan that the _gangs_ run." His lips curled back into a smile, though it was anything but pleasant. "Yeah, that's a good group, isn't it? That's the one that I've gotta _hunt down and kill_ on a regular basis just to keep them the hell away from my shop, isn't it? Oh, but you knew all about them, even if it's the only thing you _do_ know about." Riki snorted, scratching hard at the back of his head. "Yeah, Mika, the country that tossed me into the gutter and made me fight every step of the way back to the top. _That's_ the place I'm gonna help save. That's the place I'm gonna give a damn about."

I balled my fists up at my sides, gritting my teeth to keep myself from attacking him right then and there. "How can you be so selfish? This isn't about how _you've _been treated, you stupid git! This is about—"

"What? About the starving little orphans at the West End? About the poor widowed wives whose husbands got mixed up in the wrong territory war? About the unlucky businessman who has to shell over half his profit to the organization member who runs his block?" he snorted. "I've heard the legend, Mika, and I don't want to hear _any _of that noble BS. When you summon Suzaku, _you _get the three wishes, and the rest of us can rot in hell. You know why you're here, why you saved my ass back there, why you went through that ceremony in the temple. And it doesn't have a damn thing to do with the city that you barely know."

"That's not true at all! I just—"

He whirled on his heel, crushing his can in his outstretched hand and flinging it to the ground. "You know what? Forget all of it, okay kid? I'm outta here. Go drool on the Emperor, see if I give a rat's ass about what happens to you tonight." He stopped in the doorway, turning hard on his heel and glaring back at me, scratching hard at the back of his head, that same look of bitterness and hurt raging from his eyes. "It doesn't really matter, anyway. You wouldn't be able to summon Suzaku even if you _did_ have all of your seishi."

"Why's that?" I gasped out, surprised that I could even talk through the growing fire in my chest.

He spread his arms, mocking my gesture from before. "Haven't you looked _around_, kid? Suzaku died a long time ago."

As soon as the door clicked behind him I lost what little control I'd had left and kicked my chair across the room, panting hard from the sheer _energy _it took to be so, so… so _pissed_ at somebody! How could Riki _say_ all of that, especially after everything that had happened? How could he just turn his back on me – on _everybody_ – without even a second glance! As if none of this mattered to him… as if he really _did_ only care about himself…

I heaved a shuddering sigh and slammed my hands into the table, surprised to find a tear at the corner of one of my eyes. "Damn you, Riki," I hissed, pounding a fist into the smooth mahogany. "Damn you, damn you, _damn you_! I am _not_ going to lose the chance to summon Suzaku, not because of you! I don't care if I have to _drag_ you back to the palace, you aren't going to be the reason why I fail, you aren't going to ruin the one thing I've dreamed of doing my entire life! It isn't going to end this way… I'm not going to let it…"

I slumped down in the remaining chair, burying my head in one of my palms and laying the other flat on the table, fist clenching and unclenching as if it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be pissed off or just flat-out depressed. My dream world was turning into a nightmare, and every time I took a tiny step forward, every time I got half a centimeter closer to realizing my fantasy, something grabbed me by the ankle and dragged me back another five meters.

I heaved a tired sigh and caved in a little bit on myself. "Oh, maybe Hoshi was right after all…"

Someone knocked on my door, and I jumped those same five meters straight up into the air. "Gyah!" I yelped in greeting, because it was the only thing I could think to say at the moment.

"Um… Miko-sama?" a female voice that I didn't recognize asked timidly through the wood. "My name is Taki. I was sent here by Joumi-sama. She says I'm to help you dress appropriately for your meeting with the Emperor this evening."

"Eh?" I slid open the door, staring at her in total disbelief.

"Your meeting with His Majesty… I'm supposed to help… For tonight…"

I smacked my forehead with my open palm. Of course, baka! In all that commotion I'd completely forgotten about my appointment. I was supposed to have tea with the Emperor so we could figure out how to work all this legend stuff out. My heart jumped a little at the thought of spending a few private hours with the gorgeous seishi – and the only seishi who'd shown a speck of friendliness since I'd arrived – and just like that the sunlight seeped back into my dismal little world. Hotohori was my seishi, my _loyal_ seishi, and he also happened to be the Emperor. If I couldn't get Riki to come back on his own, I could drag him back with the Imperial Army. They could cart him through the door, hoisted up by his boxers on the end of Violet's sword…

"Bwehehehe..."

"Um, Miko-sama, are you feeling all right? Did I say something funny?"

I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle my sniggering and waved the other dismissively. "Oh, no, it's fine. I was just… thinking about something."

"It must have been a good something then, Miko-sama."

I nodded, grinning wolfishly as the servant turned her back to lead me down the hallway. "Oh, it was a _very_ good something, Taki-san." The image of Riki dangling from a pair of heart-patterned boxers flashed through my mind again, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to die laughing right there. "In fact, I think it's one of the nicest daydreams I've had in a long time."

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Teichou – Captain  
cho-warui – Super-bad  
baka – idiot  
Heika – Highness/Your Majesty  
bishounen – pretty-boy

**Suffixes:  
**-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids  
-dono: Super-polite term (and very old-fashioned)

**Author's Note 6/7/06**  
I'm a bad person.  
And I'm very, very sorry.  
Was the wait _really_ three months long? It didn't seem that long for me. I got _so_ busy that the time just flew by... and the fanfic never got written. To be honest, this isn't where I planned on ending Chapter Seven when I first started writing it, but I've been having problems with the last scene with Hotohori, so I decided to just save that for Chapter Eight. I didn't want to make everyone wait any longer, otherwise they might give up on this story, and I'd hate for that to happen!

Thanks to... wow, a _lot_ of people for reviewing Chapter 6. Ayriel, ThePastIsThePast, Celtic-Cross14, Kristall, TigerChickTigress, Merodi-chan, KiWi, GhostGirlSora, DianaLW, inuphantom13, Lady Seiryu, and caspercat22! Wow, so many names! I hope I didn't make you all _too_ upset with the wait! And I hope you liked this chapter, too! Again, a big 'I'm sorry' to everyone. I'll try to do better in the future, I promise.

Next Time: Mikako meets with Hotohori, but will her idyllic image of the Emperor be shattered in the meeting? See you in the next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	8. Tipping Point

**Chapter Eight: Tipping-Point**  
The servant-girl called Taki – who wound up being just a year younger than me, and a real sweetie, too – led me to an oversized closet to help me pick out a suitable outfit for meeting with "His Most Imperial Majesty Meigiri V." After trying on more clothes than I'd care to mention, the two of us finally managed to agree on a sapphire-blue dress that dipped to my collarbone and flowed in a cute little ruffle to my shin – just low enough to cover the cast on my gimp leg. I didn't mind it too much, though the matching silver stilettos almost caused me to tumble down the walkway a few times. I was counting down the minutes 'till I could be back in a pair of denims, I'll tell you that.

"His Most Imperial Majesty's Chamber, Miko-sama," Taki-san said, pushing back a pair of gold-gilded double doors and bowing low. I waited for her to walk into the room, but, when I realized that she had no intention of setting foot inside it, I went ahead of her and glanced about, surveying my new surroundings.

The difference between the Emperor's room and my room reminded me of the difference between the Residential District of Sector Eight (my neighborhood) and the Akihabara District of Sector Five. Both pretty much have the same sorts of things, when you get right down to it, but in Akihabara everything – and I do mean _everything_ – is ten times bigger, ten times brighter, and about a thousand times better. So the Emperor's chamber was a lot like my current quarters, with a refrigerator, a television, and a table with a few chairs surrounding it (there were two doors at the end of the big room, and I guessed that one went to a bathroom and the other to his bedroom). The difference was that the Emperor's TV almost covered an entire wall, the refrigerator was smooth, black, and looked like it could hold half a small liquor store inside of it, the table had a sleek burgundy tablecloth, and the chairs were big, plushy, and lined with velvet. Oh, and did I mention the leather couch seated in front of the TV? That was rather stunning, too.

"Suge…" I hurriedly wiped at my lips because I was pretty sure that I'd started drooling, with my mouth hanging open like that for so long. "Nice place," I said after a moment, turning to look back at Taki-san, but I found myself talking to air – the doors were closed and my servant-friend had disappeared. "Well, good-bye to you, too."

My feet moved on their own around the room so my eyes could study everything bit by bit, like they were saving all the details for later. I stopped at one wall to view a particularly gorgeous oil painting – it was sort of in an abstract style, but I could faintly see what I thought _might_ be Suzaku in the middle of that blur of gold and purple and…_ 'Wonder what you call that color?' _I thought to myself, leaning forward to get a better look at it. _'It's dark red, like blood, except… _not… _there's a shimmer to it…'_

Someone chuckled behind me, and I was so startled that I tripped and face-planted myself right into the painting. "Bloody hell!" I yelped, shoving myself off of it and noting the big oily mark at its center. "Oh God," I moaned, and then, "Oh Buddha, Divine Goddess Athena, Great Isis, and anyone else who might be listening… have mercy on me, 'cause the Emperor is going to _kill_ me."

"Hardly. I believe you have added a, ah… unique touch to an already intriguing painting."

I gulped. I knew that voice. Slowly, so slowly that I was pretty sure time had stopped, I turned my head to face the doorway, and the familiar speaker _in_ the doorway. When I saw him, standing there in a loose white button-down shirt and a pair of dark khakis, smiling a _terribly_ amused smile at me and brushing a strand of black hair away from his slanting eyes, I almost collapsed into the painting again. Instead, I managed the most elegant, "Heheheh…" trailing-off-nervous-giggle known to human history. I'm so good at saying the right thing at the right time.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," he said after I'd stood there for another awkward second. "The meeting took…" he glanced down, and for the first time I noticed that under that elegant face was a frazzled human being, "a bit longer than I anticipated."

"Tough night?" I asked.

He heaved a sigh and motioned for me to sit on the couch, which I did as gracefully as a girl with a bad leg can manage. "You haven't the faintest idea. The Council seems to think that it does not need an Emperor anymore and, unfortunately, with the way the current system of government has been set up, they may be correct."

I plopped onto the plushy material and watched as Hotohori grabbed a pair of glasses and a bottle of wine, setting my chin thoughtfully in my hands. "Don't you have any way to change the system? You are the Emperor, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean what it once meant," he admitted, handing over a glass of blood-red yummy and sitting down beside me. "If I wanted to change the law, I would have to have those laws _approved_ by the Council." He scowled, and for a minute I thought he looked like a pouting five year old, but it must've been my imagination. Breathtakingly handsome Emperors don't pout. It's impossible. "My word may be the word of the almighty Suzaku, but apparently the almighty Suzaku can be vetoed by a Council vote of two-thirds majority."

I stifled a giggle. "I bet Suzaku was surprised to hear that." Hotohori didn't seem to find it nearly as amusing as I did, so I changed the subject. "What was the meeting about?"

"Oh, the whole mess with Kutou," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. I wanted to ask about this 'mess' of his, but when he looked up again, he had that charming smile back on his face, and I forgot that I had a question in the first place. "Never mind all of that, for the moment at least. I asked you to come here so that I could talk to _you_ about _you_."

And that's pretty much what we did, at least at first, during the first glass of wine. Hotohori asked me some polite questions about my world, what I liked to do, where I'd originally come from, what I'd studied in school, and those sorts of things; and I, in turn, asked him a few questions myself, mostly about his hobbies and how he liked living in the palace. I tried to stay away from politics, though it's pretty hard to do when you're sitting across from an Emperor and their lives just about _revolve_ around it, but I found out pretty quickly that he did plenty of things in his spare time, and we managed to talk about that for a while. We both liked checkers, incidentally, though we played it rather differently.

"You mean you play it through a… a…?"

"Virtual headset," I repeated. "And all the pieces have these cute little faces and personalities, and I direct them to a spot, and then when I want them to jump over another piece they do, but they drop a bomb, and the other piece has two moves to take one of my pieces or it explodes." I grinned. "It's loads of fun."

Hotohori chuckled. "Such violence. Tell me, is your world filled with such things?"

"Yeah, but in my country it's mostly on Digibi – er, that's sort of like 'TV' for you blokes – and in games and books. We haven't had a war in almost 150 years, and the crime rate isn't too bad, either."

"How did you ever manage it?"

"We pissed off someone a little bit stronger than us. When they beat us, they set up a new constitution – one that wouldn't let us go to war again. But it worked out really well. Since we couldn't make weapons we started making cars instead, and electronics." I grinned. "And video games. So we're pretty prosperous and peaceful, most of the time."

"And do you enjoy video games, Mikako?"

"Heck yeah! My friend Hoshi and I are always running around checking out the latest systems and games! We're totally in love with some of the old-school stuff, too, like FFXX and Virtual Mario…"

Hotohori chuckled. "I suppose that is normal behavior for someone your age, back in your world?" I nodded. "It is not uncommon for young people here, as well." He glanced from side to side as if to make sure no one was around, then leaned forward and said in a stage whisper, "Do you know, when I was crowned a few years ago, I would often sneak out of my lessons and into Ane-ue's room, just so I could spend a few minutes on her GameStation."

I snorted into my tea at the name, but I covered up my amusement with a quick, "When were you crowned, Hotohori-sama?"

"When my father passed away, as is custom. I was sixteen."

My eyes widened. "Wow. So you've been Emperor for a while now, huh?"

"Not _that_ long," he said with that same half-pout from before. "I only just turned twenty-one a few weeks ago."

"Eh? But isn't Joumi-senpai twenty-one, too?"

Hotohori nodded. "'Joumi-senpai,' as you call her," I blushed, but he continued, "is my twin sister, and my elder by a few minutes." The Emperor leaned forward, lacing his hands in front of his chin and meeting my eyes with his again, though I felt an intensity in them that I hadn't felt before during our little talk. "But this conversation needn't focus on my personal life. We came here for a reason, didn't we? I'm sorry to have kept you busy with all of this useless chatter."

I flashed him my biggest and brightest smile. "Dai-jou-bu! To tell you the truth, this is the most fun I've had since I got here. It's been… really nice." The two of us fell into silence for a moment, I staring at my teacup and blushing a little bit, and he watching me with those dazzling eyes. "But, if you _did_ want to talk about business…"

Hotohori smiled a small, apologetic little grin. "I suppose we _should_ move on to the boring part of the conversation, shouldn't we? Tell me then, how old are you, Mikako?"

"Oh, I am seventeen."

"_Going on eighteen…" _I sang quietly for the second time that day. Dammit Hoshi!

"Seventeen? That's younger than I would have guessed, but still, not too terribly young. In one more year you'll be of legal marrying age, then?"

I blinked. Well, I certainly hadn't seen _that_ one coming. "Uh, yeah, I guess so if that's your legal marrying age around here." I didn't bother to tell him that, back home, you could get married at sixteen if your parents were cool with it. "But I thought we wanted to talk about my duties as the miko, and all of that 'boring stuff.'"

Hotohori slipped one of his hands across the couch so smoothly and stealthily that I didn't notice it until his fingers were curled on top of my own. "We _are_ discussing that, dearest."

I turned the color of an overripe strawberry and stared down at my lap, my free hand tapping a nervous pattern on the couch. "Oh… well… okay, then…"

"Listen, Mikako, you seem like an intelligent young woman, and not the sort to be so easily swayed by emotions, so I'll be blunt with you." He didn't say anything right away, and it took me a minute to realize that he wanted to know he had my attention. I flicked my eyes up to meet his, my poor teenage heart bouncing around in my chest like a cicada caught in a glass jar, and I wondered how he _didn't_ expect me to be 'swayed by my emotions' when he looked at me like that. "My father, old fool that he was, all but threw away the Emperor's power in this country. I want to bring that power back. And I want you, my dear Miko-sama, to help me achieve these goals."

I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief. "Oh! Well, I thought that was a given, Hotohori-sama! Of _course_ I'm going to help the Empire, and when I wish for Suzaku to make Konan happy and prosperous and such, I'm sure the first thing he'll do is knock those bloody council members down to size, and—"

Hotohori chuckled, and his face was so close to mine by now that I could practically taste the bit of wine on his breath. For some reason, the way his beautiful hazel eyes kept staring into mine made me nervous, and I glanced down again. "I think you misunderstand me, Mikako. I am not looking for a miko." He moved in closer until his lips were almost brushing my ear and murmured in a deep, seductive whisper, "I am looking for a wife."

I jerked away so fast I almost knocked the couch over. All I could do was stare at him for a few seconds and make a bunch of little "Eh-eh-eh" shocked noises in the back of my throat. This wasn't possible. There was no, no way that the Emperor, that my 'Hotohori-sama' – the man I had dreamed about, whose UFO doll I had cuddled almost every night, who I always used to picture in my silly images of my life in the _Universe of the Four Gods _– there was just no way that he was doing… what he was doing!

I wanted to say, _"I'm honored, but really, we should take things a bit slower, though I am certainly most interested in your generous offer, Hotohori-sama" _but instead I just blurted out, "Nani! Atashi? S-sonna…"

"Of course I mean you, darling," he said, following me as I inched further and further back on the couch until he was darn near straddling me. "You're an incredibly attractive young lady, and one of the few intelligent people I have spoken with in a long time. And there is _no_ woman in the palace with as much political power as you, Suzaku no Miko."

I should've known something was up with this guy when I heard the line about my political power, but with my chest thumping the way it was and my cheeks bright enough to be seen from space, I didn't really have a lot of time to think about much of anything before I blathered out something along the lines of, "But – it can't – and we just met and I – but I _do_ like you a lot – but I don't think we could – and all the other Miko left when they summoned their gods – so we'd only be – and I just—"

That probably would've gone on for bloody forever if Hotohori hadn't cut me off with another laugh. "_Summon _Suzaku? Oh, Mikako, where ever did you get the ridiculous idea that we would be _summoning_ Suzaku?"

…Eh?

I must've said my thought out loud, or my face showed the complete confusion that I felt, because Hotohori laughed again and leaned back, allowing me to take a puzzled seat on the edge of the couch. "I think I've startled you. I do that to a great many people, I'm afraid. I am a very forward-thinking Emperor, something that this country does not always understand and that the council certainly does not approve of. But there it is: I simply cannot think of the Suzaku no Miko in the same way as my peers." He waved a hand, and I felt like with that hand he was brushing away everything I'd ever learned about the foundations of this world. "The old ideas are too quaint. The miko is not someone for the country to use briefly and then send away. She possesses immense amounts of political power – do you know that, by law, even _I_ cannot give a direct order to a miko? – and the nation's people respect her as if she herself were a god. Yet no one has ever thought to utilize that influence! Doesn't that seem ridiculous to you, Mikako? That _you_, quite possibly the most powerful person in this nation, are allowed nothing but three wishes and a free trip home?"

I blinked. I honestly didn't know how to answer him, because the whole idea of summoning a god was why I'd dreamed about this world for so long in the first place. He didn't wait for an answer, thankfully, but said, "I can see that you're still a bit shocked. I don't blame you. But you must understand, Mikako: I want to see things change around here. I want to wage this war with Kutou that the council is so damned against, and I want to win it, and I want to receive the glory that I have been denied for so long. But I cannot do that on my own. I need you at my side, not just as Miko but as Empress. Together, we would be an unbeatable team. No one would _dare_ stand in our way. Don't you agree, darling?"

"You… you want to declare _war_ with Kutou?" I finally managed to gulp out.

He scowled. "I've offered you an Empire and that's all you can think about?" He sighed and rubbed his temples. "_Yes_, Mikako, I want a war. I'm _starving _for a war. How else can we get the ignorant people of this decaying nation to recognize their Emperor's brilliance? If they can believe in me, then there's no _end_ to the kind of glory I can achieve! The history books will talk of nothing but Meigiri V, who brought Konan out of the bowels of hell and into prosperity once again!" Somewhere during the middle of this speech his eyes had become glossy, and when he turned that faraway gaze on me it was so full of ambition and greed that I wanted to gag. "And do you know whose name will reside beside mine in those books, my dear?"

"I… I don't know," I whispered into the silence. His eyes narrowed a bit and I hurried to explain, picking my words with extra care. I didn't want to piss him off, but I certainly didn't want to marry him either, not after hearing him blather on and on about his own fame like that. I stood hurriedly and walked over to the table, setting my hands against the plush on one of the chairs and wondering when this conversation had turned sour. "Hotohori-sama, I'm honored by your request, I really am, but we barely _know_ each other. I really need some time to think about it."

When he spoke again, his voice was full of ice. "I see no reason why you need to 'think' about anything. This is for the Empire, and the miko serves her Empire. Now, legally I cannot order this upon you as your authority equals my own. However…" I was so concerned about staring at the table and _not_ at him that I didn't notice that he'd crossed the room until his hands slipped onto my shoulders. His breath tickled my ear again, though this time the words were tainted with the barest hint of a threat. "As your Emperor and seishi, I would strongly suggest that you comply with my… request. I believe it would make this easier on everyone, don't you agree?"

His hands rubbed at my tense shoulders, and I felt the barest caress of his lips against my neck. The action should have been a joy. Instead, it just felt dirty. I wrestled myself out of his hold and took another couple of steps back, nearly tripping on a chair and feeling my injured leg scream in protest with each shaky step. "I should go," I halfway snapped, uncertain if I should be afraid or just irritated. "This isn't working out like it was supposed to. You're probably tired, and I _know _I am, so let's talk about this tomorrow, okay Hotohori-sama?"

"Talk about_ what_? About how you're too damned proud to accept the most generous offer I have ever given _anyone_? I'm not normally generous, Mikako. You should feel honored by what I've told you today."

It had been probably the longest day of my life. I was tired. I was injured. With that wine in me, I was also a bit tipsy. And the love of my life, the supposedly noble and unselfish Hotohori-sama, had just given me a speech about his imagined glory. Whatever tact I'd had left completely deserted me, and I blurted across the room, "Oh, some honor! You want me to be your trophy wife, you're little 'Miko-sama!' I'd rather swallow broken glass!"

Hotohori stopped in his tracks and stared at me with a genuine look of surprise in his lovely hazel eyes. "Is that what you think, Mikako?" he asked in a barely audible, almost _hurt_ tone. "That I merely want you as my _tool_?"

He crossed the room in four short strides, pinning me against the wall. He brought his head in close to my own, until our foreheads were almost touching, and said in that husky, seductive whisper that I'd caught a taste of from before, "No, Mikako. I don't just want you as my tool." He kept one of his arms pressed against the wall just above my head, but the other he allowed to slip down until it was lightly stroking my hip. I wanted to like it, but that predatory look in his eyes made the shiver on my spine one of worry instead of pleasure. "My dear, I am utterly fascinated with you, and indeed I have been since I saw you standing in the middle of that square, glowing with Suzaku's power. There was something wonderfully… exotic about you, something I have never had the pleasure of experiencing, not in all of the young ladies I've entertained over the years. The other girls in the palace have nothing like what you have; they are not touched by a god. They are beautiful because they try to be beautiful. You are beautiful simply for existing."

His mouth slipped to my ear again and bit it playfully, though only for a moment, before he pulled back and said, "Let's not play games, Mikako: I want you. I've wanted you since the moment I saw you, and I want you _tonight_. And I am very, _very_ good at getting what I want."

The hand that wasn't on my hip dropped down to brush some hair away from my face, and his lips roved around my neck, nipping and kissing with practiced expertise, hitting all the perfect spots, tickling and teasing and pleading for my body to push back against his and beg for more.

"I can't," I said, trying to wriggle free from his hold. "If we _did_ something, then Suzaku couldn't be summoned…"

His breath made the skin on my neck prickle when he whispered back, "If Suzaku is so picky about his miko, then to hell with him."

He stroked at my hips, then up to my waist, then brushed ever so slightly against the bottom of my breasts before beginning the dance all over again. I kept expecting him to tear into me, but he held himself back, just barely. I realized suddenly that he wasn't _going _to tear into me, either. This wasn't like with that gang member in the alleyway. He wasn't trying to force me into anything. He wanted me to come willingly, wanted me to wrap my arms around him and just… I don't know… _drown_, I guess.

And for some reason, the fact that he _wasn't_ forcing me, the fact that he had the arrogance to expect me to willingly jump into this with someone I hardly knew and who only wanted me for this bit of physical pleasure, who didn't even _care_ if it meant I'd never be able to summon Suzaku… for some reason, that made him even _filthier _than that rotten gang member. Every touch felt like it was trying to violate everything about me, and I wanted to just _run_. But he had me pinned, and if I tried to move I knew he'd just stop me and begin this game over again – and the worst part was that a part of me almost _wanted_ it, because he _was_ so beautiful, and he _did_ know just where to put his lips and his fingers and even how to brush his chest up just slightly against my own so that we _both_ wanted a little bit more of each other…

…But Suzaku… Suzaku needed me… the seishi needed me…

The seishi _did_ need me… didn't they?

"Mikako," Hotohori said suddenly, and I was surprised to hear a snap in that voice that had been so seductive just a couple seconds ago. "Stop trying to fight me. It's getting annoying. None of the other girls have _ever_ resisted for this long. I'm not going to spread rumors about your precious honor or morals or whatever it is you choose to call them, so give it up and just let me in, won't you?"

'_The other girls.'_

'_My "precious" morals'?_

'_Give it up and let me _in

My eyes widened and I found tears gathering in the corners. "An'ta wa…" I hissed, gritting my teeth to fight another wave of rage.

"Don't sulk, dearest. It's even more annoying than playing hard-to-get."

His lips pressed against mine and his tongue flickered in against my teeth, trying to push them back so he could 'get in' like he so desperately wanted.

I parted my teeth. I let him in.

And while he explored his latest conquered territory, I looked up and met his eyes for a brief second. Mine narrowed. His widened.

'_Suck on _this_, asshole,'_ I thought right before my teeth snapped back together.

Hotohori shrieked and I felt his palm slam against my cheek. Stars exploded around me, my gimp leg went out from beneath me, and the next thing I remembered I was sitting on the floor staring up dazedly at the Emperor, who was holding his bleeding mouth and glaring at me like I'd sprouted an extra set of eyes.

"You… you _bith!_" he screamed around what I could only assume was a very swollen appendage. "My tonb! You bib my tonb you libble bith!"

"I said 'stop it,' didn't I?" I snapped back, straightening my dress and wondering when it had gotten mussed up in the first place. I opened my mouth to say more, to fully berate this spoilt brat for being such an arrogant piece of garbage, but the door to the room swung open right then and a wide-eyed, worried Hime-sama stood gaping in the doorway.

"Oh, heavens," Joumi murmured, cupping her hands over her mouth.

"Ane-ue!" Hotohori cried, grabbing his sister by the sleeve and pointing an accusing finger at me. "She bib me! Bat bith bib me!"

"What are you…?" Joumi noticed the blood on his mouth. "Oh, heavens!" she said again. "Toku-dono, you've been bitten!"

"Bat's bhat I thed!"

"Would you stop holding your tongue like that? I can't understand a word you're saying."

Hotohori removed his hand from his mouth long enough to wail, "She _bit_ me, Ane-ue! That bitch _bit_ me! No of the other girls have ever even _touched_ me before, and that bitch bit me! Doesn't she know who I am, Ane-ue? Doesn't she know that _I'm the Emperor_? I wanted her, Ane-ue, and she _bit_ me! What the hell is _wrong with her_? Is she _retarded_?"

"Toku-dono, please…"

"I _always_ get what I want! No one _ever_ says 'no' to me, not ever! She must be insane! How else could she do something like that? I don't want her here anymore, Ane-ue! Make her go away, please! Itetete…" he whimpered, grabbing at his bleeding mouth again. "I can't believe she _bit_ me…"

"Oh for God's sake, stop _whining_!" I still can't believe it was me who said that, that night. There was so much venom in my words, you could hardly recognize my voice. Joumi and Hotohori both looked ready to say something, but as soon as they saw me their jaws snapped shut. I didn't know why, at the time, but Joumi told me later that I looked like a wild animal, almost, standing there with my dress wrinkled and my hair mussed and my eyes just about on fire with shock and rage. "Go ahead and run to your Ane-ue, see if I care! You got exactly what you deserved, you selfish baby! If you hadn't done those things… and said those things… and treated me like _that_…"

"I treated you like a princess!" Hotohori shrieked. "I gave you every courtesy I could offer! I actually wanted you, and you had the nerve to—"

"To say 'no'?" I snarled back, half-stumbling towards the doorway. "Just because I wouldn't let you treat me like one of your whores… just because I actually… I actually…"

I crumpled against the wall, too tired and too afraid of my own stupid tears to keep going. I wasn't going to give that prat the joy of seeing me cry. He wasn't going to get a thing out of me. Especially not _that_.

"Yoshimi-san," Joumi murmured, and a moment later Nuriko appeared in the doorway. "Please take Mika-chan to my room. I'll be there before long."

"Don't you dare speak to her so casually, Ane-ue! Did you see what she _did_ to me!"

Joumi didn't even look at me as Nuriko grabbed me by the arm and all but dragged me out of the room. She kept her gaze completely focused on Hotohori as she pulled his hand away from his mouth and examined the bit of blood still trickling out. "Oh, it's not so bad. I really think you're overreacting, Toku-dono."

"She attacked me, Ane-ue, and_ it hurts_!"

"Well then you'd better get the doctor to check it out, don't you think?"

"Come with me, please Ane-ue?"

She chuckled. "Yareyare. You're such trouble sometimes…"

The two kept that up for a while, but I stopped listening as soon as I got out of the room. I didn't _want_ to hear anymore rubbish like that. Nuriko led my numbed body down a short hallway and into a neighboring room. She didn't say anything the whole way – didn't ask any questions, didn't even check to make sure I was all right – and her hold on my arm felt a little tighter than it needed to be. When we got to Joumi's quarters she opened the door and half-shoved me in, though of course a 'half-shove' for Nuriko meant that I landed on the nearby bed.

"Stay here. Joumi-dono might be a while, so you may as well go to sleep. She'll speak with you in the morning."

I stared at her for a moment, trying to get a read on the emotions behind that perfectly impassive mask. "Nuriko…" I finally whispered, my whole head aching from trying to hold back my tears. "Riki left this evening, didn't he?" She nodded. I'd figured as much. "And Hotohori-sama doesn't want me anymore, right?"

"Apparently."

"Fine," I said, forcing myself to keep my head high. "What about you, Nuriko?"

"What about me?" she asked flatly.

"Do you think I'm a selfish, conniving bitch? Even though I didn't _do_ anything, even though Riki's a stubborn ass and Hotohori-sama's a… Hotohori-sama's a…" I blinked hard and made myself continue, "a rotten, spoiled, horrid brat… Do you think I deserved to have them leave me? Do you hate me too, Nuriko? Do you want to leave me, too?"

"Of course not," she said. "I've never hated anyone in my life, and I don't intend to start with you." She turned to go, one hand still clutching the doorknob. "However, your questions are irrelevant. I cannot leave someone who I never joined."

I stared at her, eyes the size of dinner plates. "Na… nani?"

Her ice-violet gaze never once wavered from mine. "I do not serve you, Mikako. I serve his Majesty Meigiri V." She turned her back to me then, murmuring one last sentence to the cool spring air. "If his Majesty is forgiving, then I shall remain your faithful seishi. If he is not…" she shrugged and left the room.

The door clicked behind her like a coffin lid slamming shut.

oOo

I sat in the darkness of Joumi's room later that night, clenching my Playstation Mini between my hands and staring at the little Holo Menuscreen that had popped up in front of me. My hands worked along the controls of the Mini, scrolling through a few folders before landing on the one entitled _"Fushigi Yuugi – Anime, Manga, & Pictures." _I opened it.

A moment later three other folders sprung up in front of me. I clicked on _"Pictures," _and the images of my Oba-chan's lover and friends sprang up before me, scrolling lazily past the Holo-screen in a slideshow fashion – just the way I'd set them up. First the group pictures. Then my aunt Miaka. Tamahome. Hotohori. Nuriko. Chichiri. Tasuki. Mitsukake. Chiriko. All of them, smiling back at me with love and loyalty and a thousand different promises, each one of them exciting and wonderful.

I scrolled back up to the first picture. Clicked on it.

_View – Edit – Move – Delete_ – The screen read.

I slid my pointed over – and over – and over – and over.

I stared at the glowing letters for a moment, then back up at those smiling faces. They were all lying in a field, somewhere, staring up at an imaginary camera above them. Dozing. Posing. Smiling. Hopeful, all of them.

I slammed my finger down on _Delete_.

Everything I had ever known about my family, everything I had ever taken comfort in when things were going wrong – all those stories Hoshi and I used to make up about what we would do and where we would go if we ever found the book, and how we would do things right, and how wonderful everything would be – all of those stories, which had helped me through my parents' divorce, through friends moving away, even through the first boy who had rejected me when I said _"Suki" _– all of it had been a lie.

Hoshi had been right all along.

I blinked, looked down, and realized that the group pictures were done. I started on the Miaka photos. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten… gone. Another ten – gone. And another. Then the Tamahome pictures. One, two, three… and so on, until each disappeared into oblivion.

I didn't need these fantasies anymore. What good were they now, now that I knew they were all lies – now that I knew dreams didn't come true, that romance was just a myth, and that my aunt's "happily ever after" had just been the fabrication of some shoujo manga-ka? How could I have been so easily duped by some characters in a stupid show!

I blinked again and found myself staring at the first Hotohori picture. He looked up at me, his long chestnut hair folding around his face, his dark eyes watching mine with such gentleness and understanding. How many times had I looked at those eyes and thought, however jokingly, however seriously, _"Ah, wouldn't it be nice to wake up to _that_ face?"_

I set the Playstation Mini down. I had to. I couldn't see the buttons anymore. The entire world had flooded over with my stupid, idealistic tears.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:**  
Suge – informal form of "sugoi" – amazing  
Daijoubu – it's all right  
Miko – Priestess  
Suzaku no Miko – Priestess of Suzaku  
"Nani! Atashi? S-sonna…" – "What! Me? N-no way…"  
"An'ta wa…" – "You're…"  
Hime-sama – Princess  
Ane-ue – very formal "older sister"  
"Itetete…" – "Ow ow ow…"  
Yareyare – Good grief/For heaven's sake/etc.  
"Suki" – "I like you" (literally just "like")

**Suffixes:**  
-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids  
-dono: Super-polite term (and very old-fashioned)

**Author's Note 6/27/06**  
Ta-da! I told you this chapter wouldn't take as long to get out! And what a chapter it was, too! Did you all enjoy it (or maybe 'enjoy' is the wrong word)? Poor Mikako... she's having such a rough time right now! Makes you hope that things get a lot better for her soon, doesn't it? Well, please keep cheering her through her story!

Thanks to Lady Seiryu, kitsune-firedragon, Cheeto, caspercat22, ThePastIsThePast, DianaLW, and some FY fantatic/reader/person for reviewing! I don't know how it happened, but this fanfic has gotten sort of popular, huh? I'm so glad that you all stuck with me through the long break, and with luck chapters will come out a lot quicker now!

**Next Time **Mikako stumbles upon the Imperial family's deepest secret… but is it too late for even _that_ to make her stay? See you next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	9. Imperial Secret

**Chapter 9: Imperial Secret (Guess It's Not So Secret Anymore, Though…)**  
Joumi came back to her room about ten minutes later, though the two of us didn't talk or anything. As soon as I heard the door open I curled up with my face in the couch and my arms over my head, and made-believe as hard as I could that I was fast asleep. I'd pretty much finished crying by then, but my eyes were still red and puffed up, and I wasn't in the mood to have anyone seeing me like that, especially somebody as sympathetic as the Imperial Princess.

"Mika-chan?" she called into the darkness. A lamp flicked on nearby, and I felt the couch sink a little as she set a hand on the top. "Are you still awake?" I relaxed my body as much as I could and made a few snoring noises, exercising my shoddy acting skills to the best of their abilities. I get the feeling she didn't buy it, but all she said was, "Oh… well, I hope you sleep well. I wanted to apologize, but I'll wait until the morning. Sometimes my brother can be… there is no excuse, I suppose. Oyasuminasai."

The room faded to black again, and a moment later I heard one of the chamber's doors open and close. Joumi had gone to bed, I decided, and unwrapped myself from my sleeping position so I could stare up at the ceiling. I felt a little bad about ignoring her like that, since she'd been so nice to me and all, and she really _did_ sound ashamed about what had happened that evening… but to tell the truth, I didn't regret it all that much. The way she'd rushed to her brother when _I'd_ been the one under attack was still fresh in my mind, and we both knew that she'd chosen the Emperor over me, that night. So we both felt pretty rotten about everything, I guess.

Welcome to Konan, Mikako. The most miserable place on earth.

I dozed off not long after that, still feeling properly sorry for myself, but I couldn't have been _really_ asleep for more than a couple hours before I was jolted awake by the most horrible screaming I've ever heard.

At first I thought it must be some poor animal getting skinned alive, the way it was screeching and screeching, just going on forever and ever, and it reminded me a little bit of the time when Hoshi and I were little and tried to catch a rabbit in the park and take it home as a pet. We'd managed to corner it where two sides of the chain-link fence surrounding the park met, and Hoshi was going to scoop it up in this box she had, when out of nowhere it started to make this horrible squealing noise like we were murdering it, just trapping it like that. We both felt so bad that Hoshi burst into tears and took off across the park, and I stomped that box into about a million pieces. We never went hunting for pets again.

So for the first few seconds I just stood there in Joumi's living room, glancing around for some sign of that rabbit again, trapped under the mini-fridge maybe, until I realized that the sound wasn't coming from our room – it was coming from the one next door.

From the Emperor's chamber.

"Oh, gods…" a voice murmured, and I whipped my head around just in time to see Joumi rush out of her bedroom dressed in nothing but a pink robe and some fuzzy white slippers. She didn't even pause to look at me or even to turn on a light, but instead sailed right out the main door and took a left in the hallway, heading straight for her brother's room. Dazed – and worried that that beastly Emperor had decided to torture some poor animal for his amusement, since he couldn't get his jollies from me – I hurried after her, brushing sleep out of my wide eyes as I went.

The next couple of minutes happened so fast that I'm not exactly certain of the order. I know I was more-or-less right on Joumi's tail, though she never once seemed to even realize I was there, and when we reached the Emperor's chamber the door was already flung open, all the lights turned on and blazing, and inside Hotohori's room we could hear both those terrible wails and Nuriko's voice, though the words were lost completely in that racket. I do remember that I stopped stock still in the main doorway, just staring at the open bedroom door for a good ten seconds, because as soon as I crossed the threshold I started picking out _words_ inside that screeching. That sound was coming out of a _human mouth_, I realized, and almost collapsed onto the couch at the thought, because there was only one other person in the room with Nuriko – and the sound was tearing itself straight out of the once-melodic throat.

This is what I managed to hear, during my sudden epiphany:

"Heika, Heika! Please, calm down!"

"Ane-ue! Where's Ane-ue?"

"Please, Heika, I'm here for you. It's all right, I promise."

"No, it's not okay, it's not okay it's not okay it's not…!"

And then that horrid screaming kicked up again and drowned out anything else that Nuriko might be trying to say. That second round of wailing threw me out of my trance, and I rushed towards the door just as Joumi entered the bedroom, so I was able to hear the next bit of conversation, though I was still too nervous to peek into the room and know for certain the source of those wails.

"Oh, gods, Toku-dono! Yoshimi-san, didn't he take his medicine before he went to bed?"

"I—"

"Ane-ue, Ane-ue! It was horrible, _horrible_! Oh, oh, ooooooh…!" And the keening started up again.

"Hush, I'm here now. Yoshimi-san, could you?"

"H…hai."

I heard the footsteps coming towards me, and though I hadn't given it much thought before I suddenly understood that I was interrupting something important here, something that only those three knew, something they knew so well it was practically a routine. Anyway, just as Nuriko walked out of the room I pressed myself to the wall and tried to make myself as small and sleepy-eyed as possible, so it might look like I'd wandered in on accident and was just about to leave, but Nuriko didn't even look at me. She stared out at the room for a long moment, then heaved a tired sigh and murmured under her breath, "In the end, I am just 'the one that kills.' Is that right, Heika?"

I thought that I almost caught a hint of sadness in those words, and maybe even a bit of longing, but before I could really think about it Joumi snapped, "Yoshimi-san, _please,_" and Nuriko disappeared out of the room and down the hall on some unknown errand. I considered following her, or even just returning to Joumi's suite and going back to bed, but morbid curiosity and something almost like sympathy drew me back towards the door, and eventually forced me to poke my head around the frame.

What I saw darn near made me collapse again.

Joumi sat on the edge of the bed with her back towards me, crouching over a trembling lump of blankets and matted hair, which on closer inspection revealed itself to be the Emperor. He had a pillow clutched in his hands that he kept squeezing and turning over and over, and one side of his rumpled sleeping robe had slipped off his shoulder to show the smooth skin beneath. Any other time that might have almost looked alluring, but with the way he sat there, his long hair hanging about his face, body quivering, head shaking slowly from side to side with the faint trace of tears along both cheeks… He looked more like an abused animal than a regal Emperor, like one of those poor stray dogs I'd see on the streets sometimes who'd hit the ground and start shivering all over any time someone got near them.

Joumi reached out to touch his shoulder, but he jerked back and whimpered as if she'd burned him. I couldn't see the look on her face, but the concern in her voice told me she was just about dying, right now. "Toku-chan, please, don't shy away. You _know_ it's better for you to be with people." He shook his head, but when she slipped her arm around his shoulders again he didn't try to pull away this time, but instead leaned his head in against her chest so that I couldn't see his face anymore. "Now," Joumi went on, "tell me what happened."

His voice came out in a bizarre series of squeaks and sobs, and it sounded like he was fighting just to put everything into words. Like maybe the only way he could _really_ explain it was to just curl up and scream again until he'd gotten everything out. "Th-that f-f-f-fire again… l-like before … and-d-d-d… th-those _eyes_, An-n-n-ne-ue… l-l-l-like alw-w-w-ways…"

She started to stroke his hair, like he was a five-year old who'd just woken up from a particularly bad nightmare. Maybe in a way he was. But was that _really_ all this was about? "Calm down, Toku-chan, it's all right now. You know none of it's real."

"B-b-b-but I c-can feel it, Ane-ue… I c-c-c-can f-feel those eyes, ac-c-c-cusing m-me… I didn't do anything, Ane-ue! I _didn't_! What c-could I have d-done? I d-don't kn-know her at all! Wh-wh-why is sh-she d-d-d-doing this t-to me, Ane-ue? And th-those f-f-f-flames… l-l-like they're swallowing m-m-m… me _alive_, and b-burning m-me forever without ever k-k-k-k… killing me! G-g-gods Ane-ue, w-w-w-why w-won't she j-j-just _k-kill me_?"

Joumi shoved him away then, so he was angled in such a way that I was finally able to get a good look at those eyes of his, so charming and seductive just a few hours before, now wide and terrified and filled with tears and despair, like he was staring up at the sky while trapped in the middle of a maze with no exit. But his sister's voice had anything but sympathy in it. "Don't you _dare_ say such things, Toku-chan! You will live, and happily, too, without any of these nightmares – and that's all they are, is _nightmares_! – but you've got to stop forgetting about the medicine, do you hear me? Especially on the bad nights… you must take the other dosage on the nights when you're alone, remember? Remember what the doctor _told_ you, Toku-chan?"

"No, no, no, no…" he whispered, shaking his head again, unconsciously pulling away from Joumi's arms. "I thought you und-derstood, Ane-ue, I th-thought you understood it…"

She sighed again, and this time reached out with both arms and gathered him straight to her chest. The ways she moved him, you'd have thought he weighed no more than a baby doll – and at that moment he looked so small and lost and helpless, I almost believed it. "I'm sorry, Toku-chan. Of course I understand. It's not your fault, not really. You can't help that this… At any rate, Yoshimi-san will be back soon, and when she gets here she'll have your medicine, and you'll be able to sleep again."

"Can't sleep, can't sleep, can't sleep," he whimpered in a sing-song voice that made me bite down hard on my lip.

"Of course you can," she chided gently. "Why, with the things Yoshimi-san is bringing, you won't be able to help it."

"Talk to me, Ane-ue," he said suddenly, and I caught a glimpse of his hands finally unknotting themselves from the pillow, just a little. "About childhood. About b-before. I c-can't seem to remember any of it anymore."

She chuckled. "All right, but only until Yoshimi-san gets back. Then you're going straight back to bed. Meetings in the morning, after all."

"Hai, hai…"

Joumi started talking in a low, soothing kind of voice, and even though I could still hear her if I strained I decided that I didn't want to, anymore. I'd been too shocked to move before, but now that everything had settled down a little I became fully aware of how much of an intruder I was in this bizarre, tender ritual between brother and sister. I swallowed hard and ducked back out of the doorway, turned on my heel and made a beeline out the door and back towards Joumi's room. I passed Nuriko in the hallway, carrying a glass of water, a wet towel, and a white bottle, and she shot me a sideways glance as if to say, _"Wait – where are _you_ coming from?"_ and I got the feeling that she knew exactly what I'd seen. But the next moment we both looked away, she back to her task and me back to my thoughts, and we passed each other without incident.

Once I got back to Joumi's room, I thought I should probably just go back to sleep and try to forget what I'd seen, but after about five minutes of lying on the couch I gave up and turned on the TV. I must have flipped through five hundred channels without finding a thing that interested me – not that I was paying that much attention – before the suite's door opened again. I looked back just in time to see a very exhausted Joumi slip into the room, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her pretty face.

I did my best to play dumb. "Joumi-senpai, you were gone a while. Is everything okay?"

A tiny, forced smile flickered across her face before disappearing back into the worried creases. "Let's not play games, Mika-chan. It's far too late for courtesy, and Yoshimi-san told me that she saw you leaving the Emperor's chamber right before she returned."

I turned my eyes to the ground and felt my cheeks light up in shame. "G-gomen… it was just, that sound was so cho-_terrifying_, I thought something was probably dying, and I wanted to make sure we saved it before it was too late… but then, once I got there, I was just so – so – I don't even know, but I couldn't get myself to turn around and leave, not until things calmed down a little and I thought they'd probably be okay. Of course, then I just felt like a bloody spy, so I dashed out as fast as I could, because I didn't want to pry anymore than I already had – and I wanted to forget about it, I promise, only I just kept sitting here _thinking _and _wondering_ and I… um…" I groaned and rubbed my hands over my temples. "It's been a long day and night, is all. I'm gonna go to bed now, and save us both a lot of trouble."

"No," Joumi said with a tired little headshake, taking a seat next to me on the couch. "As the Suzaku no Miko, you have a right to know. More than that, however, I hope that, since you _are_ the Suzaku no Miko, you might be able to do more than just 'know' – perhaps you might manage to understand all of this, and perhaps even understand Suzaku no Hotohori in the process. I pray that you will, for my brother's sake."

I sat straight up, more out of respect for her and my own curiosity than out of sympathy for that little prig. I could still picture that hungry, arrogant look in his eyes, and couldn't help but feel that whatever he got he 100-percent deserved. "What's going on in the Meigiri household?" I asked.

Joumi took a deep breath and began:

"First of all, Mika-chan, you must remember that my brother and I never knew another human whom we could trust or truly call a friend. Haha-ue spent most of her days dealing with diplomats, Chichi-ue sometimes left for entire months on trips to the other nations, and even when he _was_ home he often had a meeting to attend or a bill to sign or something of that nature. Our professors respected our parents too much to become our companions. And the few peers we _had_ within the palace were mostly servants' children, who were forbidden from speaking with us, or the sons and daughters of courtiers, who visited at such infrequent intervals that we rarely had time to develop anything that one could consider a bond. All we had was one another, though this did not become so obvious at first.

"Now, having said all that, I would not have you believe that our childhood was unhappy. Quite the opposite, in fact. When we were not studying we were indulging in the same sorts of things that any other child in the empire might enjoy – playing 'pretend,' diving into video games, climbing the palace trees, and generally causing a stir. Our parents were terribly proud of us, my brother especially, for while I might have excelled just a bit in our studies he was always the one who spoke up and challenged our professors on their ideas and philosophies. I was content to agree with them, but he never hesitated to think for himself, and wonder 'what if.' Father took special care to applaud this behavior, and though I was technically the oldest and next in line for the throne, it became an unspoken agreement that I would decline the position and allow my brother the title of Emperor."

"That doesn't seem very fair," I interrupted. "You're so kind, I bet you would've made a good Empress."

She raised an eyebrow and stared at me like I'd just said _"I bet rocks are good to eat!" _"I would have, without a doubt, been the worst Empress in the history of Konan. And at any rate, I had no desire to become the next Meigiri. I wanted to read everything on the planet, but that was essentially the extent of my ambitions, so the situation suited the both of us just fine." She chuckled. "More than 'fine,' even. Toku was _so_ excited about the future, and he had so many ideas about how he would fix things."

"How long has Konan been lying in the gutter?" I asked, then immediately regretted my choice of words when Joumi shot me a very hurt look.

"My father was not a good ruler," she whispered after a teeth-grinding pause. "Nor his father before him. But that does not mean that they were _bad_ rulers, either. They just… overlooked things. Little things. Big things. They preferred to strike bargains with the mob to keep them under control rather than spread soldiers' blood across the streets in order to destroy the gangs completely. Things like that." _Yeah, little things,_ I wanted to snort, but bit down hard on my tongue and kept listening. "My brother wanted to change… everything, I suspect, though he'd never say such things to my father's face. But sometimes at night, when we were sitting in our rooms reading or studying – oh, I remember this one time very well – he suddenly looked up from a history book and said to me, 'I'll raise taxes.' I remember staring back at him, eyes as wide as street lights. 'Not to everyone,' he told me. 'Just the upper class, and maybe the upper-middle class.'

"'I can't imagine that they'll be happy with that,' I said, trying not to smile.

"He laughed. 'No, they won't. But it won't be for long. Just five years. Ten at the most. And it won't _hurt_ them, really. But can you imagine, Ane-ue?' he asked me. 'With extra money like that, I could start building up the police forces, or building better schools, or even just use the extra income so I could _lower_ other taxes.' And I remember how he would stop – he always stopped towards the end of his thoughts – and chew on his lip, staring straight forward into a future I couldn't quite see – but oh, _he_ could see it, you could tell in the way his eyes would shine in the lamplight, and it made me want to see it more and more with every passing month.

"'I'm gonna need your help, Ane-ue,' he always said to me, sometimes pacing up and down the room when he was having a particularly bright epiphany. 'People aren't going to like what I'm doing, not the _important_ people anyway. Chichi-ue, if he's still alive, will have a stroke. But I keep watching the news and I keep hearing about these shoot-outs and things, and I keep thinking _Well, I'm gonna be the Emperor, aren't I? So why don't I do something about it?_ So I'm gonna do something, Ane-ue. But I'm gonna need your support more than anything else. You'll help me, right? You'll stand next to me even when everyone else wants to chew my head off? You're the only person in the whole world who I can count on,' he'd say, and I'd always, always agree with him. You understand, don't you, Mika-chan? In our lonely lives, all we had was one another. It was the only thing we could never, never let go, no matter what happened. No matter what sort of terrible things might happen to one of us…"

She paused, swallowing hard, and at first I thought she might be fighting back tears. It took me a minute to realize she was fighting back these 'tears' with clenched fists and pink cheeks, and it took me another minute to realize that Joumi wasn't crying at all – she was bloody _pissed_.

"Two days before our twelfth birthday, my brother and I were out by the palace pond when he saw a young girl – an ambassador's daughter – fall into the water. He dove in after her, and when he saw that she was caught in some of the weeds, he began tearing at them with a butterfly knife that our favourite uncle – and our parents' least-favourite, as it were – had given him a year ago. I do not know exactly what happened during that struggle, but… sa… when he emerged from the water… on the side of his neck…" Joumi gestured to the spot, though I already knew the location. "And quite suddenly, my brother was not only Meigiri Toku, but also Suzaku no Hotohori, one of the legendary seishi."

A weak laugh escaped her throat. "My parents were terribly pleased. If there had been any doubts that Toku would claim the throne, all of them vanished the instant Suzaku's symbol appeared on his neck. Chichi-ue all but announced his successor to his guests on our birthday, and began the plans for an official ceremony that very week.

"That same week," she began, and I saw her hands tighten up on her robe again, "my brother began having… nightmares. When he would tell me about it later, he always spoke of a girl staring at him with 'accusing eyes,' he called them; and then some sort of gruesome death – flames, for the most part, but occasionally she would press him under water until he drowned, or peel away his skin, or…" she shivered, and I couldn't help but do the same. "Chichi-ue assured us that it was merely stress due to the upcoming ceremony, and that it would go away in a week or so.

"But they did not go away, Mika-chan. The nightmares became worse and worse, more and more violent, until even when he _did_ wake up he continued sobbing, sometimes for hours on end, insisting that he needed to die or that he was dying right at that moment. Our parents could do nothing to help him, and even my presence only succeeded in lessening his grief a bit. We asked him so many questions about it, but he didn't seem to understand it either, and during the daytime hours he treated it almost like a joke. He used to laugh at me, during that first month, whenever I'd follow him to make sure he was feeling well. 'They're just nightmares, so cheer up, Ane-ue!' But I could see the worry in his eyes. We both knew that this was something different from a nightmare, though neither of us could explain it. Still, we pushed our beds together at night, and we hoped, and life continued as it always had. As we thought it always would."

Joumi set her head in her hands and heaved a tired sigh. "And then came that day during literature class. Toku and Yuzurika-sensei were engaged in yet another argument, and Toku was halfway through a particularly biting remark – I remember, because I was fighting so desperately to stifle my giggles – when without any warning at all he stopped mid-sentence and stared into the air. 'No,' he whispered, though I doubt that Yuzurika-sensei was near enough to hear. 'Who are you?' he asked, and then, 'Uso.'

"And then he was just screaming.

"The day-visions were different from the nightmares. No women in these. Mostly just monsters. Sometimes he would be walking down the hallway, teasing me or chatting with a servant, and the next moment he would be on the ground, clawing at his own arms and shrieking that he was being eaten alive, or something equally terrifying. After a few days of these, mother called on the doctors, and when the doctors offered no help, she reluctantly sent for psychiatrists. CAT scan after therapy session after medication after medication after _medication_ later – gods, Toku must have taken on twelve different personalities during those six miserable months of tests and failures and retests – someone finally diagnosed my brother's illness as 'schizophrenia.'" Joumi snorted. "Do you know anything about schizophrenia, Mika-chan?"

"Not very much," I admitted. I decided to leave out the part about how, back home, we'd basically eliminated every mental disorder on the planet with a little pink pill that kept all the chemicals in your brain more-or-less balanced out and in working order. Still no cure for puberty, though. Or PMS. Alas.

"Well I took it upon myself to study it from top to bottom, and believe me, Mika-chan, my brother _does not_ have schizophrenia." Joumi sighed, and with that sound I saw her kind of crumple in on herself, like she must have done all those years ago when she'd first heard that lie from the doctors. "But no one knew what else to call it, and no one had the courage to say 'Perhaps we are wrong,' so they prescribed medicine to Toku that they knew would only have partial success, and then they disappeared.

"The medication worked, for a while. Granted, it did nothing for the nightmares, and only limited the day-visions to one, two, maybe three in a week. Still, this _was_ an improvement, and I decided to treat it as such. I even congratulated Toku after the first week, and he smiled at me for the first time in, oh, a year, perhaps. So we pushed our beds together again, even though by then we were almost fourteen and had agreed that we were far too mature to continue this behavior much longer, and Toku dared to dream of his future again.

"Or, at least, he _attempted _such a task. What we saw as a step forward, our parents saw as another reminder that their son was 'defective.' That was my brother's word for it, the one he used after the first time Chichi-ue struck him for enduring an attack in the middle of an Imperial banquet. 'Well, I guess I deserved it,' he had murmured into his pillow that night, in a voice that caused my heart to break. 'That's what I get for being defective.'

"Our parents did everything in their power _but_ ease my brother's suffering. They hid his condition from everyone they knew, to the point where they began hiding mybrother himself from all public gatherings. They spent hours threatening Toku, accusing him of earning the gods' disfavor, anything that they thought might 'fix' him, but what could he _do_? Anyone with eyes could see that he had no control over these attacks! What good could chastising him possibly do, Haha-ue? What was the point of punishing him, Chichi-ue? He couldn't _help it_!"

Joumi's fists pounded into her legs again and again during this speech, and she gritted her teeth so hard I thought she might snap them all in half. It scared me a little, to tell the truth. I'd never seen anyone look so thoroughly outraged before, and to have that look coming from _Joumi_, of all people – it just didn't make any sense. I wanted to say something, I think, but instead I just sat there with my mouth hanging open, watching her until she seemed to notice that I _was_ watching her. She took another deep breath, fought back a tremor, and forced out a small, bitter smile that didn't do anything to help the mood in the room. "Needless to say, my parents' 'solutions' did not solve anything. The medicine lost its effectiveness after a few months, and the day-visions grew worse and worse, to the point where Toku suffered from two, sometimes three or even four attacks a day. He avoided his lessons, declined the fewer and fewer invitations to Imperial gatherings, and spent the majority of his hours huddled in a corner of his bed, staring unseeingly at a book. He stopped speaking with me, even, for a time. He was so terrified, but more than that, I think he was ashamed. It was never, _ever_ his fault, but our parents said it so many times, perhaps he began to wonder…

"One day in early May, my brother tried to kill himself with the same useless pills that were supposed to cure him. Our parents realized that they could no longer hide him in the palace anymore." Joumi swallowed again, and I saw that same rage from before flash light a bolt of red lightning across her face, and I wondered just how long a person could keep that much fury bottled up before they finally exploded. "So they took him to an, an 'Institution for the Mentally Disturbed' in Reizei-shi. And they left him there.

"I suppose it's important to mention that, sometime during all of this, my father collapsed at a gathering in Sairou. He woke up in a hospital in Konan, where a doctor showed him the cancer that had spread through his body and was now inching into his brain. They gave him six months to a year to live.

"My parents panicked. I cried for my father, but he snapped at me until my tears retreated back into my eyes out of sheer terror. Life, I discovered during that long year, is far less important to an Imperial family than The Throne. For therein lay the great question: Who would succeed my father when he died? As my father's second wife, Haha-ue had no real claim to the throne. My brother was in a clinic in southern Konan where – though my parents never bothered to ask me, and I never bothered to tell them – a pair of very kind psychiatrists were testing out a combination of medications to find something that might finally end my brother's living Hell. I believed he would recover. My parents did not ask for my beliefs, and two months later they announced that _my_ coronation ceremony would take place within half a year, as soon as they worked out all of the details."

The Hime-sama smiled at a far-off memory. "So, I did the only thing I could possibly do. I ran to the nearest temple in the city and took the Vow of the Maidens of Suzaku. I pledged my life and body to my god, and swore to him before every priest in the capital that I would marry neither man _nor_ authority for all of my living days."

My eyes almost jumped right out of my head, and I'm pretty sure that I _did_ slip off the couch, a little bit. "Nani!" I yelped, slapping my hands hard against my knees. "Are you _crazy_? Why – why in the nine hells would you do something like that? Just because you didn't want to take the throne, you _forced_ your parents, to… to…!"

"What would you have me do, Mika-chan? I was sixteen years old. The only person whom I had ever trusted and loved sat in a whitewashed room staring at a whitewashed ceiling, convinced that he was 'defective,' that there was something incurably wrong and ugly about him, something that caused a woman to visit his dreams every night and kill him again and again. And I was no idiot, Mika-chan. I knew exactly what would happen to him if I took the throne. My parents would have no reason to claim my brother, so they simply _wouldn't_. They would sign the forms to extend his stay in the institution, and then they would forget about him. Forever.

"I had just spent the last four years watching my brother's life crumble to pieces in his hands. I was not going to spend the next twenty watching those pieces slip one by one between his fingers, until he withered away like so many of Konan's unfortunate children. I had just one opportunity to bring my brother back. I was sixteen. I loved my brother. I did what I had to do.

"Chichi-ue spent the next six months preparing the government for his 'defective son.' He relinquished almost all of his power to the Council, until the Emperor became little more than a name on paper and an attractive face on the television. My brother returned to the capital for the coronation ceremony, but the doctors spirited him back to the institute almost immediately. They believed they were on the verge of a medical breakthrough, and though Toku met my eyes only once during the ceremony, beneath those deadened grey surfaces I caught the faintest glimmer of hope. We pushed our beds together, in spirit rather than body, this time, and we hoped again.

"My father died a few weeks later. Toku could not even attend his funeral because he was in Hokkan, undergoing a series of tests. Haha-ue disappeared a few weeks after that to her beach house in Kutou. We send New Year's cards, but little else. I think that is for the best. Toku stayed in the institute for a few more months, then returned home with two bottles of medication and a hug for his 'Shrine Maiden Ane-ue,' as he teasingly called me. He laughed at dinner and ate his usual portion – too much – but I could sense that something had whispered out of my brother's life during his time in the institution. For one, he no longer spoke feverishly about his plans for the future. He had returned to the palace to find his executive power virtually stripped away, and I think it hurt him more than anyone could guess. That, and the nightmares that still would not quite vanish, must have eaten away at him terribly, though I do not think I fully understood it until our eighteenth birthday, nearly two years after Toku had taken the throne.

"We stood on the veranda just outside of his room, looking out over the palace gardens and enjoying the autumn air. He had been quiet and somewhat sullen all evening, and I remember how he kept staring up at the night sky, as if trying to read his destiny somewhere in those stars. Perhaps wondering if his destiny had not deserted him years ago.

"Quite suddenly, and without once looking at me, he announced, 'I haven't been a virgin for two months now.'

"'I know,' I answered, without taking my eyes off the trees. That is how we have carried on serious conversations since we were children, without looks or judgment, or even surprise. 'You and the one from the harem, Fuyumi-chan. Yoshimi-san mentioned it to me. She's a very sweet girl.'

"'It was Fuyumi-chan until two weeks ago. Then we had an argument, and I haven't invited her back since.' He paused, then said, 'When we slept together, I didn't have any nightmares.'

"'You never do if you just—'

"'I didn't have to take that awful second pill, Ane-ue,' he told me. 'That one that knocks me out, and leaves me feeling like another person until noon the next day. I _hate_ that pill, Ane-ue. You have no idea what it's like to go to bed and not know what personality you'll have the next morning.'

"I swallowed hard, I remember, because back then anytime he mentioned his medication or his illness I always felt like crying. 'So being with her helps.'

"'Not just her,' he said. 'Anyone. After our row, I spent five nights away from her, and – well, you remember those two times last week. So I started feeling lonely again, and I ran into Yukino-chan – you know Yukino-chan, right? With the bleached hair? We spent the day flirting, then I invited her to my room. She accepted, just like that. And no nightmares. Just like that.'

"I hadn't the faintest idea what to say, just then, so I offered him a tiny smile and teased, 'Shall we start pushing our beds together again on the nights you're not entertaining guests? We could stay up into the early morning hours, trading spooky stories, or…'

"'Ane-ue,' he said suddenly. '_All_ the women in the harem are like Yukino-chan, really. All the time, they're telling me "Heika, you're so handsome," "Heika, I've never seen a man as beautiful as you."' He laughed and leaned against the railing, and – I've no idea why I remember this, honestly I don't, Mika-chan, but his hair fell in front of his face like it used to do when we were children, and he looked so terribly alone at that moment that I thought my heart might break all over again. 'Heika is so beautiful,' he said again. 'But which one of them really knows anything about Heika? Which one of them knows that Heika wakes up screaming in the middle of the night, that Heika can't make it through the day without two blue pills, that everything beneath Heika's gaze is terrified and helpless and, and… _defective_.' He laughed again, and perhaps I began to cry then, I can't recall exactly. 'Yes, the beautiful Heika, who cannot even run a country because his Council knows that he is a bird whose wings snapped long ago.

"'Ane-ue, you are the only person who knows me,' he said, and he looked at me for the first time that evening. 'Is the Council right? Am I as crippled as they believe? Or do the harem girls see something that they don't? Am I really so beautiful, Ane-ue?' I understood the question beneath his question, even though he was too frightened to ask it. _Is my life worth living?_

"Yes, I must have been crying, because I remember choking out my answer. 'You are like a China Doll,' I told him, and somehow we wound up in each other's arms. 'You are so, _so_ fragile, but… but Toku-chan, you're my brother. My dearest, only, wonderful brother. I love you. Of course you're beautiful. Of course. _Of course_.'

"'And will you protect this China Doll for a bit longer?' he asked me. 'On the nights when I cannot protect myself… and even before the Council, and all of Konan? Will you still stand by my side, Ane-ue?'

"I never hesitated in my answer. 'Until the day I die.'

"'Good,' he said, and when he pulled away I saw his eyes glow for the first time in, oh, decades, it seemed. Except, and I am very sad to admit this, Mika-chan, but there was something… different, this time. Something that time had twisted almost beyond recognition, though I did not realize that until he began speaking once more. 'I'm going to fight the council with everything I've got, Ane-ue, so that I can finally pull Konan out of this hole. I've been reading a lot of my old books, and did you know that most countries wind up spending their way out of depression, with wars, even?'

"He took a step back from me, though it seemed as if he had crossed a chasm in that one movement. 'So, I'm going to start a war. I'm going to show everyone what I can do. I'm going to make Konan great again.' Toku smiled for the first time in a long time, but it was no longer the smile I knew. It was no longer simply ambitious – it seemed almost… almost _ravenous_. 'If I can convince the harem girls that I'm worth something, then it's only a matter of time before I convince the rest of Konan,' he said. '_Then_ we'll see what kind of a defective Emperor I am.'

"My brother turned and left me, then, and I feel that he has walked further and further away from me since." Joumi took a breath and stared down at the carpet under our feet, then her eyes slowly slid up to look into mine. "He has become obsessed with defeating the Council – perhaps with defeating his illness, and that ghost who haunts his dreams – but you must believe me when I tell you that, underneath all of it, I know he is still the little brother that I loved. That I _love. _He truly wants what is best for Konan. But how can someone fight for a nation when they cannot fight for themselves?"

I didn't say anything, and I didn't really look at her straight on or anything, either, but sort of out of the corner of my eye every so often, just to get a feel for what she was thinking. To tell the truth, though, I couldn't really tell. Maybe I didn't really care.

"I'm not asking you to forgive him," Joumi continued, trying to break the silence. "What he attempted was inexcusable. However, for what it is worth, he wishes to apologize. Once he calmed down, he felt very contrite about the entire episode... he really _is_ like a child sometimes, but he was never given a proper chance to grow up, so…" She sighed and set her head in her hands again. "Gomen nasai. I protect him far too much. I know that. I _know_ that. But what else can I do, Mika-chan? I cannot destroy these demons for him. Only a miracle can save my brother."

I flicked my eyes up again to catch hers, and couldn't help but blink when I saw her smiling down at me with all the hope in the world. I knew that smile. It was Chiro-san's smile. "That is why – one of the many reasons why – I am so happy that you are here, Mika-chan. And why I now beg of you to help my brother. You're the only person who can, I think." She grabbed my hands and all but forced me to look up and meet her teary eyes, finally. "So please, Mika-chan… please bring back my brother. Please save him from this Hell he has been forced to endure for so long. I beg of you."

Was what I did next cruel? Heartless? Unfeeling? I didn't know at the time, and I still don't. Maybe I'll never know for sure, until I hit those pearly gates and St. Peter or Hades or whoever starts adding up my pluses and my minuses. Maybe _then_. I just don't know.

What I do know is, right then, I was tired of people asking me to save people who obviously had no desire to _be_ saved, people who didn't give a damn whether anybody around them lived or died. I was tired of listening to Chiro-san's voice in the back of my head, asking me why I hadn't taken better care of Riki; and I was tired of Joumi defending her prig-brother to the death. Mostly, though, I was tired of seeing my expectations stepped on every time I tried to make things work right.

So maybe it was cruel. Or maybe it was just _normal_.

"I'm sorry, Joumi-senpai," I said, pulling my hands from hers. "But I can't help you, because I already made my decision before I even went to bed." I met her eyes evenly, without a shred of pity or happiness or anything in my voice. Just finality. Sweet, abrupt finality.

"I'm going home. Tomorrow."

* * *

**Japanese Words:  
**Oyasuminasai – Good night (polite)  
Heika – Your Majesty/Highness  
Ane-ue – Formal, somewhat old-fashioned form of "Big sister"  
Gomen – Sorry (informal)  
Haha-ue – Formal, old-fashioned form of "Mother"  
Chichi-ue – Formal, old-fashioned form of "Father"  
Nani – What  
Hime-sama – Princess

**Suffixes:  
**-san: Mr., Mrs., Miss  
-sama: Lord, Lady  
-chan: Term of affection, usually used on female friends and little kids  
-dono: Super-polite term (and very old-fashioned)  
-senpai: Term used on older students or co-workers  
-sensei: Term used on knowledgeable people in service positions, usually doctors, lawyers, & educators; literally means "teacher"

**Author's Note 8/8/06**  
Hi everyone! Wow, so sorry that this chapter took a while to come out. It was a really tough chapter to write, though – I kept having all sorts of problems with it, and I'm still not sure if it turned out just the way I wanted. It went a little slow at the end, but I hope you all liked hearing about Hotohori's past, and even if you don't _really _feel sorry for him, at least you can understand him a little bit better, right? But what's going to happen next? Even I'm not totally certain, so please stick around to find out!

Thanks to KiWi, Lady Seiryu, caspercat22, TigerChickTigress, inuphantom13, Ayriel, ThePastIsThePast, and BlackDragonofdarknessflames for reviewing! I love hearing from all of you, as always, and I hope that you'll be back for this chapter to cheer (or maybe even boo) Mikako once again!

Next time: Will Mikako's journey in the _ShiChiJinTessho_ end as soon as it's begun? Or will she have a change of heart? See you in the next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	10. Homecoming

**Chapter Ten: Homecoming (I Wish It Didn't Taste So Bitter)**  
I woke up the next morning feeling downright rotten, even though the sun _was_ shining through the window, the bed was cho-comfy, and the room was at that perfect temperature between 70 and 75 degrees. Most mornings that's really all I need, but today was different. Today, I had to tell Hotohori that I was going home. That didn't really matter all that much to me, of course, because quite frankly he could go jump in a vat of acid for all I cared, the stupid, spoiled prig, but he _was_ the Emperor, and I _was_ the Miko, so I wasn't so sure that he'd just let me walk out of the palace without a second glance.

So, if reasoning didn't work, I'd just have to _run_ away.

I felt a little better with that decision out of the way, so I stood up and decided to face the morning with as much optimism as possible. After glancing around the room for a minute, I realized that Joumi had already gone off somewhere – and, after glancing around the room for another minute, I noticed a bouquet of purple lilies sitting on the table with a small note card next to it. Curious in spite of myself, I walked over and snatched up the card. My knowledge of kanji is pretty limited, now that we've got that whole International Language thing set up, but I'd learned enough in high school to be able to pick up the words 'apology,' 'join' and 'breakfast,' and of course I knew that the signature at the bottom read 'Hotohori.'

My eyebrow twitched. "Is this guy for _real_?" I growled before tossing both the card and the lilies into the nearby waste bin. Then I turned on my heel and stomped out of the room.

Before too long I found a servant who led me back to my room and my wardrobe, where, much to the servants' horror, I changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a comfortable T-shirt. Once I'd gotten her to stop gaping at me like a fish on dry land, I asked for directions to the main kitchens, which she gave me in an equally surprised stutter. Apparently the Miko isn't supposed to dress casually and eat with servants. Who knew?

The cooks were nice enough and treated me to a meal, which I half-heartedly picked at before I realized that I was too stressed out to eat, then I tracked down another servant and asked in as polite a voice as I could muster, "Could you please tell me where his Most Honorable—" _yeah, honorable like a serial rapist _–"Highness might be at this time?"

"His Imperial Majesty should be in his private study, taking breakfast with his sister," the servant answered after staring at me for a moment, like maybe she was trying to figure out if I'd snuck into the palace or was just a rebellious politician's kid. "But he's very busy right now, you know, so I wouldn't—"

"Yeah, because eating breakfast takes _so_ much energy. Could you point me in the direction of his study?"

She did, and added, "But Ojou-sama, he doesn't like—" but I was down the hallway and around the corner before she could finish her sentence, because I really couldn't care _what_ the Emperor did or didn't like at this point.

I found the room without much trouble – it was the same one from the evening before, when we'd all eaten dinner together, _before_ he'd acted like a greedy jerk – and remembered my manners enough to knock once on the door before sliding it back. Hotohori, clean and regal once again, glanced up with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, and when he saw who I was he smiled in a way that made me think he was actually glad to see me, even after calling me a "stupid bitch" less than twelve hours ago. Which, by the way, just ticked me off even more.

"I'm going home," I announced without so much as an 'ohayou, minna'. "You don't have to _do_ anything for me if you don't want to. I'll find my own way back, or whatever. I just figured you should know."

I almost enjoyed the way his face drooped ever so slowly, morphing like a depressed butterfly from a cocky grin to a puzzled frown. Joumi, for her part, didn't say a word, but just stared at her rice and pretended to be someplace else. The ever-present Nuriko hovered in the corner, watching me but never once opening her mouth. So eventually it fell on the Emperor to speak. "Going home?" he repeated.

"Yes," I said.

"Today?"

"Now," I corrected, wondering if he'd even _heard_ me the first time over the sound of his own arrogant blood pounding in his ears.

"Ah…" Hotohori coughed, set down his chopsticks, looked hard at the tablecloth, coughed again, ran a hand through his hair, looked up. "How do you, ah, plan to do _that_, exactly?"

"Taikyoku-zan," I told him. "And Taiitsukun. She can do it, I think." And by 'I think' I meant 'of course,' but I didn't want to get into the details of _how_ I knew all of this, so I stopped there and waited for him to say something else.

"And might I inquire as to why you are returning?"

_Because this world took my childhood fantasies and threw them against a wall_. "My leg," I tapped lightly at the side of my injured knee, "is really bothering me. We have better medicine in my world. I want to make sure it doesn't get infected or anything."

"Will you be coming back when that task is finished?"

I'm not the best improvisational actor in the world – that's Hoshi's job, after all – but I've hung out with enough Theatre Junkies to pick up a few tricks of the trade. Plus my dad works in the restaurant business. You gotta know how to lie if you wanna make it in _that_ world. So instead of shouting out the resounding _"Hell no!"_ that was on the tip of my tongue, I offered him a small shrug and said, "If I can."

Hotohori stared at me for another long moment. All things considered, I had to give the guy credit: he was handling this pretty well. But then again, after last night, maybe he wasn't all that thrilled with me being his Miko, either. Maybe he would rather just pretend that my coming here had been a bad dream, too. Whatever his feelings, after a moment he nodded and stood from the table, offering me a bow. "Very well, then. Your wishes will be met, Miko-sama, as best as your servant can grant them. Regrettably, I am unable to accompany you on your journey," _"Regrettably for _who I wanted to ask, "but the least I can do is send you along with money and a suitable guardian. Nuriko?"

"Hai, Heika?"

"Please supply Mikako with transportation to Taikyoku-zan, and accompany her as far as you are able."

"Hai, Heika."

He said all of this without once turning his eyes away from mine, and Nuriko pretty much did the same thing, so that I sort of felt like they were _waiting_ for me to say 'thank you,' or maybe even to change my mind. But I wasn't about to give him any sort of pleasure, so instead I just said, "I'm ready to leave now, so…" and trailed off.

Nuriko nodded. "We'll take my car. Do you mind waiting in my quarters while I pack a small bag, Miko-sama?"

I told her it was fine, so she unpeeled herself from the Emperor's side, walked around the table, and stood in the doorway, waiting for me. I turned to follow, but at the last moment Joumi rose, dashing towards my side and grabbing my hands in hers.

"Mika-chan!" she squeaked, and tears almost sprang to her eyes, and for half a second I felt a little regretful. But it only took that half a second for her to regain her composure, and by then I'd regained _mine _too, so when she said, "You _will_ come back, won't you?" I responded as coolly and calmly as anything with, "I told His Majesty I'd try, didn't I?"

Joumi swallowed hard and nodded. "Sou desu. S-sou deshou ka? Well, then… have a s-safe journey, and I will… see you… sometime soon, I hope. I'll pray for it. Tha… thank you for your company, yesterday, Mika-chan. I shall miss you. Toku-dono will, too."

"Ane-ue, what in heaven's name are you two whispering about? And why do you look so depressed? Mikako said she would be back before long. We needn't act as if this is 'sayonara,' you know."

She glanced back at her brother and forced a smile that she couldn't possibly feel. "You're right, Toku-dono. My apologies."

Then she released my hands and took her seat back at the table, which pretty much sealed my decision. Joumi liked me, sure, but when push came to shove she always stood by her brother. He really could've raped me the night before, and she would've excused it somehow. Whether that's true or not, well, you'll have to decide for yourself, but that's how I felt at that moment, so it wasn't difficult in the slightest for me to turn away from that rotten Imperial family, march right out the door after Nuriko, and never once look back.

oOo

I followed my third seishi down a pathway, through a garden, and into a different, simpler part of the palace. All the buildings here looked a little bit older, but no less well-tended, and there was a certain hominess that the Imperial quarters didn't quite have. Maybe it was the little plots of land in front of every house – and they were mostly real houses here, or at least duplexes, not those little attached compartments like with the official palace. It was more like a rich suburb than anything else, I guess.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, "Is this where the upper-level military folks live, then?"

Nuriko grunted an "un," then, to my supreme surprise, added, "Many of the apartments at the end of the lane are reserved for visiting ambassadors and world leaders, but otherwise, yes, this area is reserved exclusively for the military, particularly the palace guard."

Wow, a compound sentence. Maybe she was warming up to me. I didn't have an answer for her, though, so I fell into silence again, and she willingly did the same. After another few minutes she turned sideways into a little yard with a patch of rosebushes, a young cherry tree, and a wooden wind chime hanging from the red-tiled roof – surprisingly feminine for the Teichou, and incredibly well-kept considering that she never seemed to leave the Emperor's side.

"Nice place," I said, following her up the walkway. "I didn't know you were into gardening."

"Considering we've spoken twice, that's not surprising," Nuriko replied in a voice that _almost_ sounded miffed, though I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. "And as it is, I _don't_ garden. I haven't the time. My younger sister studies at a nearby private school. She lives with me. _She's_ the one with the interest in housekeeping."

I couldn't help but smile at that. _Of course_ Nuriko would be living with her little sister. And how lucky, that she was alive in this time!... was what I _wanted_ to think, but I was too tired and sick of this world to really care much about anything anymore. Still, it seemed rude to let the conversation drop there, so I asked, "Oh? Is she here now?"

"I imagine so."

Nuriko slipped a key out of her pocket and slid it into the keyhole, turned it to the left, and stepped back to let me into a cozy living room decorated with old-fashioned wooden chairs, tables, and a soft blue-covered futon. "Cute," I offered. "Your sister's work again?"

She grunted another "un," and I thought maybe our short dialogue was dead again, but at that moment a door to the left of us swung open and a female voice cried. "Onee-chan, okaeri!"

I looked to the newcomer, and felt like maybe I'd just keel over right there. The teenager who greeted me was about as far away from her sister as she could get, from her long dark hair pulled back in a big purple bow to her matching summer dress – embroidered with white flowers, and ruffled at the hem, Lolita-style, which of course made me think of Hoshi – to the bright smile dancing across her face. She was probably a couple of years younger than me, if that, with flushed cheeks – no doubt from working outside all the time – and long, feminine lashes. She'd probably be gorgeous like her sister when she got older, but for now she was the perfect definition of 'Kawaii,' and when she smiled at me I felt obligated to do the same.

"Tadaima, Arisa-chan," Nuriko muttered.

The girl's grin turned into a pout as she planted her hands firmly on her hips. "Onee-chan, is 'Tadaima' all you can say? You're home early and you've brought a guest, not to mention I rearranged the whole living room this morning because you said you kept bumping into the table when you got home late at night – and all you can say to me is 'Tadaima'? I think I'm offended." She looked to me. "Should I be offended, you think?"

"Probably," I agreed, because I didn't know what else _to _say to that mini-rant. Apparently Nuriko's sister had inherited all the talking genes.

"Gomen," said the seishi, and I could've sworn a half-smile flickered across her face. "The room looks lovely. This is a… friend of mine, from the palace. I'll be taking her back to her home, and it's going to take me a couple of days, so I came home to pack a small bag. We'll be gone in ten minutes or so."

"Oh," her sister's frown deepened.

"Would you mind keeping my friend company while I prepare myself?"

Like clapping a light on, Arisa's face switched from dark to light in half an instant. "Mm! I'll make her feel right at home! In fact, I just made some tea, and there's enough for two people, and I think I've got some of those little biscuits that that one ambassador brought, so I'll grab a few of those too, and we'll have a foreign tea party! I'll look after her so well she won't want to leave again!"

Nuriko chuckled, and I tripped over the edge of the carpet out of sheer shock. "Arigatou, Arisa-chan. I'll only be a moment."

"Take your time, Onee-chan!" and as her sister disappeared into the other room, Arisa turned towards me, ducked a hasty bow, cried "Please make yourself comfortable! I'll be right back!" and disappeared the way she'd entered.

I sat down like she'd asked and took a moment to look around the room again, this time taking in the red-stone fireplace and the family pictures above the hearth. Nuriko; Arisa; Nuriko _and _Arisa; a young Nuriko with an older boy – maybe a close friend? – and…

But before I could swivel to look at any others, Arisa reentered the room, already chatting up a storm. "So we only have a couple biscuits left but you and I can still eat them, and I'm afraid they're oatmeal-raisin but they're still delicious and really fresh, if you like that sort of thing. The tea is western, too, if that's OK – I just love Benedick culture."

I decided that 'Benedick' was the Konan-equivalent to England. "Sounds good to me. Though Nuriko probably won't take very long, so…" I trailed off, because Arisa's face had gotten all cloudy again. "Ano… Arisa-san?"

"So she's got everyone calling her 'Nuriko' now?" she muttered darkly, then looked up again and flashed a pained smile. "How long have you two been friends?"

I giggled and rubbed the back of my head. "Well, 'friend' might be a bit strong. We only just met yesterday, and not under the best conditions."

"Oh?"

"It's… kind of a long story."

"Oh." She sat down across from me, handing out a 'biscuit' (or 'cookie,' as Hoshi's mum calls it) and pouring two cups of tea. "Well, I'm glad Onee-chan's making friends here and there, even if the stories _are_ complicated. All she ever does around this ruddy palace is protect the Emperor, and _sometimes_, like once every _month_, she and Joumi have tea together. But I don't think either of those count as friendships, and that's not fair to her. Of course she's so quiet anymore that it shouldn't surprise me, and she's _such_ a workaholic… Ne, are you taking classes nearby, too? It'd be _such_ fun if we could have study sessions together!"

I blinked at the sudden topic change. "No, I'm not going to school here. Actually, I'm going home for a while."

"Oh, home! Do you like 'home'?"

"Most of the time, I guess."

Arisa sighed wistfully. "That must be nice. _I_ can't stand 'home,' not with that overbearing control-freak running the Estate like a bloody warship. Otoo-san's _so_ outdated. I hate it. Onee-chan loves him to death, though I can't figure out why. But then again I'm just the youngest, and a girl too, so _he_ never had any expectations for _me_. That's why I'm going to study hard and become a politician. Ne, when I'm rich and powerful, you should come visit me. We'll have _good_ biscuits then. Chocolate-chip."

"I'll… see what I can do," I said, and couldn't hold in my laughter anymore.

Nuriko's sister puffed up her cheeks and glared at me. "Moooooou, you're laughing at me! Being a politician isn't silly! Why, Benedick even has a female Prime Minister, you know! It's only this stupid place that's got something against girls anymore!"

I shook my head and waved a hand, fighting back my giggles. "No, it's not that, Arisa-san, I promise! I was just thinking about how _different_ you are from Nuriko. With her I feel like I've gotta drag the conversation along – with you, I can barely keep up!"

"Oh." Now Arisa laughed, too. "Yeah. Onii-chan always joked about how I talk enough for the both of us. Onee-chan says the same thing. Though… it didn't get really bad until…" she got all foggy again, then shook her head and looked up. "Ne, call me Alice, not Arisa, okay? Only Onee-chan calls me Arisa anymore, because she can't pronounce foreign names to save her life. And Otoo-san, but he doesn't count."

My ears twitched at 'Onii-chan,' because hadn't Nuriko said…? But before I could say anything Alice turned to me and was off again, asking, "Ne, what's _your_ name? I'm so rude – I never thought to ask!"

"Oh, I'm Kasumiya Mikako."

Alice's teacup stopped halfway to her lips. "You're _who_?"

"K… Kasumiya Mikako," I repeated.

"No, you're not."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes… I am."

"S-so you're the… _the_ Mikako? As in… the Mi… Mi… Miko?"

"Oh." I sighed. "Nuriko told you that? Yeah, I guess I am the Miko, except—"

But I never finished my sentence, because the biscuit in Alice's left hand whipped forward, slamming straight into my forehead.

"GET OUT!" she screamed, grabbing another biscuit and winging it at me. I barely managed to bring up an arm to protect myself, which was a good thing because she threw her teacup at me next, and I had to practically dive behind the couch to avoid getting a face-full of chamomile. "GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, NOT EVER, YOU SCUMMY MIKO!"

I scrambled to my feet, still ducking a barrage of biscuits. "Alice-san, what—?"

"It's _your fault_!" she shrieked, running out of food and resorting to sharp words, now. "_You're_ the reason Onee-chan's so different! I want you to disappear! I just want you to _go away forever_!"

"Alice, I—"

"Arisa-chan, what is going _on_?"

Our heads whipped to the door to see Nuriko standing in the frame, wide-eyed, with a suitcase under one arm. For the first time ever, she actually looked shocked, and maybe even a little annoyed.

Alice pointed an accusing finger at my chest. "Why did you bring her here, Onee-chan? I HATE HER! Everything is all her fault!" Her eyes fell on mine again and bore right through me, blazing with what felt like a lifetime's worth of frustration and hatred. "You're supposed to be this powerful Miko, right? Then give me back my Onee-chan! Get her to be herself again, damn you!"

"Arisa-chan, stop telling such foolish lies," Nuriko almost-snarled, stepping forward and setting a protective hand on my shaking shoulder. "I apologize for this, Mikako. Let's go."

"It's not a lie and you know it!" Alice cried as we turned to leave. "You didn't get so cold until that stupid symbol showed up! It's all the Miko's fault that you're stuck in this stupid palace with that stupid Emperor doing his stupid, _stupid_ chores!"

"I _chose_ my own path. You _know_ that."

"No, you didn't! You never chose a damn thing! You just did whatever Otoo-san wanted, and you gave up _everything_ for that! You gave up _yourself_ for it, and that stupid symbol _let_ you do it, too!"

"That's enough, Arisa-chan," Nuriko growled.

Her words fell on deaf ears. "But you just don't _get it_, Onee-chan! You're _not_ his son, and you're never going to be and you're _never_ going to make him happy, because he's a rotten old bastard anyway, so just _stop it! _Stop trying to be Onii-chan!"

Nuriko threw open the front door and pulled me out. "Ittekimasu," she muttered through her sister's shrieks, and slammed the door behind us with a decisive clang.

I was too dazed to do anything but let Nuriko lead me (though her 'lead' is more like a 'drag') towards the back of her house and into a little side building where she kept her car. She opened the passenger's door for me and I crawled in, without even an 'arigatou,' and just sat there, staring at my sneakers. I don't even know _what_ I was thinking then – if I was upset or angry or just confused – or even if I was thinking anything at all. It was like Alice's tirade had kicked my brain inside out.

"I apologize for my sister," Nuriko said, fiddling with her keys.

I shrugged. Nuriko coughed once and turned the keys into the ignition, and the little vehicle roared to life. As we pulled out of the driveway, I turned my eyes to look out the window, and they stayed there for most of the trip, not even turning when Nuriko said, a few minutes later, "I'm sure you're curious about what she said. About her brother."

Again, I shrugged, which I guess Nuriko took as a sign to say something else. "I didn't lie to you. Neither did she. We had a brother, three years my elder. He's dead now."

"Okay," I finally said. I could kind of sense Nuriko getting uncomfortable, which almost struck me as funny, that _anything_ could rile her up, but it made the air in the car unpleasant, so I added, "You don't need to feel bad or anything. I like Alice-san. So if she's upset with me, she probably has a good reason."

_Besides,_ I added to myself, _she made it just that much easier for me to leave. I'm not really wanted here, and the people who want me want me for all the wrong reasons. So, I can just leave. And I don't ever, once have to look back._

oOo

I don't have any exciting stories about the trip to Taikyoku-zan. Maybe that was for the best, though. Nuriko and I sat in relative silence for about ten hours, listening to the radio, breaking each other's privacy only to say something like, "Are you hungry? There's a stop up ahead" or "I need to use the restroom." Otherwise, peace and quiet, and the occasional nap. After the past few days, I was only too grateful for it.

Until, out of nowhere, Nuriko pulled off the main highway and into a little picnic area, then threw the car into 'park' and said, "This is as far as I can take you. Taikyoku-zan is still considered Holy Land. You won't find any more roads or towns from here. Just follow the dirt path up the mountain about two miles. It should only take you an hour, I suspect. I've never been there myself."

I blinked. "Oh. You aren't… coming with me?"

"You'll be safe without me. That is my only priority."

"Oh." I felt a lump in my throat, but I swallowed it back before it could embarrass me. I opened the car door and hopped out. "I guess I'll see you later, then."

"No, you won't," Nuriko said, and she said it with such certainty and somberness that I couldn't tell if she was accusing me or just stating a fact.

I bristled anyway. "I'll come back if I can."

"No, you won't," she said again, reaching across the way and closing my door behind me. "You won't come back for anything, if you can help it."

I set my hands on top of the open window, half-ready for a fight and half-just ashamed of myself for being so transparent about it – and for giving up in the first place. "You mad at me, then?"

"No," Nuriko answered. "Just disappointed. I am not a religious person. But even _I_ thought the Miko would not abandon her people so easily."

I snorted. "Yeah, and what people might _those_ be? The ones who try to kill me, the ones who try to rape me, or the ones who just throw oatmeal-raisin biscuits at me?"

Nuriko shifted the car out of park. "Mm, I suppose you're correct. Jaa, sayonara, Miko-sama."

Moments later she was flying out of the small lot, kicking up a tiny cloud of dust as she went. I watched until the car had disappeared into the very distance, first as a speck, and then as absolutely nothing, before stumbling backwards and collapsing into a nearby park bench. I stared up at the crisp blue sky, watching a pair of sparrows dart in and out of the nearby trees, and heaved a long, heavy sigh, the kind of sigh that's supposed to either let out tears or hold them all back.

I didn't let myself cry again, though. I had decided to be done with all that the night before, and I wasn't going to break my promise now. Besides, what reason did I have to be crying, anyway? I'd decided to leave everyone behind, and I had damn good reasons for it, too. No one cared about me. Konan was a mess. The seishi were hopeless. The two people who'd been kind to me were only kind to me so I would help their asshole friends. And the one girl I'd met who seemed semi-normal hated me. It didn't matter why. Not anymore. It was just one more reason to leave. So why would I cry? Why had I expected _anything_ from Nuriko? Had I _really_ been holding out for some last redeeming plea?

"Mikako, you're such an idiot," I murmured to the sky. Then I stood up, cracked my back, and took off up the dirt path.

I didn't think on the rest of the journey. I just set one foot in front of the other, stared down at the path, and took step after step up the gently sloping mountain. The forest became thicker, quieter, more peaceful, but it didn't do much to my mood. I just kept focusing on the trail, and home, until finally the path widened and flattened out and at last I looked up, and found myself at the top of the mountain, and standing in front of me were my three seishi, smiling sheepishly.

Go ahead and read that last sentence over again. I know I must have blinked at _least_ a hundred times when _I _saw that.

Riki rubbed the back of his head. "Oi, Mikako… the Emperor called me and told me about what happened. Listen, I… I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't've run off. You really helped out, back there in the palace, so…"

Hotohori bowed low. "I, too, must give you my supreme apologies. My behavior was inexcusable. However, I hope you will overlook such horrid misconduct and focus on the greater goal, the goal we all wish for – I sincerely hope you will stay and save Konan."

Nuriko opened her mouth, but I held up a finger. "Matte," I said, then turned my eyes back to the skies again. "Taiitsukun, is this _really_ the best trick you could come up with? I'm idealistic, but I'm not an _idiot_. Really, I think you're losing your touch."

An unseen voice chuckled. _"Well done, Suzaku no Miko. You're much sharper than your original predecessor."_

I rolled my eyes. "No offense to my aunt, but a _feather_ is sharper than she was. And don't call me the Suzaku no Miko. I'm not."

The seishi illusions – because of course that's what they were – standing in front of me wavered and disappeared, and in they're place stood a boy, about nine years old or so, twirling a yo-yo lazily in his left hand. He glanced up at me from around a mop of curly black hair and a red baseball cap, watching me with amber eyes as deep as eternity. His lips curled upwards into a mysterious smile. "Kasumiya Mikako."

"Taiitsukun," I replied, offering the deity a low bow. "I like you're new form. It's cho-kawaii. Quite the improvement from the Sunakake-babaa."

One eyebrow twitched ever-so-slightly. "That troublesome nickname is never going to stop haunting me, is it?" Taiitsukun coughed and looked up again, all composure once more. "Might I ask what you're doing on this holy mountain, and by yourself, no less?"

"You're the Controller of the Universe, right?"

"I have been called that, yes."

"Then, with all due respect, you shouldn't ask questions when you already know the answers," I said, offering him another small bow. "With all due respect, of course. You know why I'm here, you know the situation, so there's no reason to stand around discussing it. I want to go home. I'm not injured. My own ki should be enough." I reached into my pocket and pulled out my favorite little bit of technology. "My friend Hoshi's reading this right now, I'd guess, and she has a PSMini with her too. So that'll be the connection. Is there anything else you need?"

Taiitsukun blinked. I think I'd caught him by surprise, all things considered. "Ah… you… certainly are familiar with the methods of this world, aren't you?"

"I did my research," I answered shortly. "Could I please go home now?"  
The deity stared at me for a long, hard moment, and the sheer depth of those powerful eyes coming out of that cute little-kid face might have been the most unnerving thing I've ever seen. I held my ground, though, and tried not to look as uncomfortable as I felt. "You don't intend to return."

"Not if I can help it."

"Are you _certain_ about that, Kasumiya Mikako?" he demanded, taking a couple of steps forward until I could've reached out and touched him. "If the story is left unfinished…"

"Lots of stories are left unfinished," I answered with a shrug. "Why else do you think there are so many starving authors?"

The corner of Taiitsukun'd mouth twitched ever-so-slightly, though I hadn't really planned on making a joke. The situation really wasn't that humourous, come to think of it. I waited to see what was so funny, but all he said was "The authors of _this_ story would be intrigued to hear that," before turning his back to me and slipping the yo-yo into his pocket. Taiitsukun clapped his hands twice, calling out "Nyan! Your assistance, if you please!"

"Oh, we're gonna do it right out here?" I asked, glancing around the clearing.

Taiitsukun glared at me out of the corner of his eye. "_You_ said you were in a hurry."

I couldn't argue with that, and even if I'd wanted to I wouldn't have had a chance, because at that moment a pink bubble burst above our heads, and out floated a 12-year old girl dressed in a standard sailor-suit schoolgirl uniform. "Nyan!" she announced before landing lightly next to the great deity. "Tai-kun called?"

The deity shot his servant a death glare, fighting hard to keep the twitch out of his eyebrow. "You insolent…! I told you not to call me that!"

"But in that form, Tai-kun is _totemo kawaiiiiii!_" the Nyan squealed, curling her hands up under her chin. "So Nyan-Nyan will call Tai-kun 'Tai-kun', and Tai-kun will call Nyan-Nyan 'Senpa—' itai!"

Taiitsukun dusted off his hands and turned back to me while the Nyan nursed a swollen cheek. Little tears were about to burst out of the corners of her eyes, and the whole situation was so adorable that I almost fell over laughing. But Taiitsukun met me again with those deep eyes, and I sobered up right away. "Your ki is strong, like you said. We can do it right now… if you're _certain_ that's what you want."

"Taiitsukun, again, with all do respect, you can stop repeating yourself. I'm sure."

The deity heaved a sigh, and even Nyan-Nyan looked a little depressed. "Mou…" the little girl murmured. "Konan is still bleeding, Tai-kun."

"Yes," Taiitsukun murmured, "but they've done it to themselves, Nyan. Is that not so, Kasumiya Mikako?"

I didn't know how to answer that, so I offered him a nothing-sort of shrug. He accepted that, I guess, because he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. "Focus on your home, Kasumiya Mikako." He peeked out of one eye long enough to turn to Nyan-Nyan and snap, "Nyan! Pay attention!"

"H-hai!" she squeaked, and clapped her hands together as well.

The two started to murmur a low chant under their breath, but I wasn't listening to the words. I had my eyes closed, too, and I was thinking about my room, and my parents, and Hoshi, and Ueda-kun, and all of my friends, and my teachers. My favorite shows. My after school clubs. My _life_.

I thought about all of it, and the longer I focused the fuzzier everything got, and the warmer everything got, and the quieter Taiitsukun's and Nyan-Nyan's voices got, until there was nothing but me and darkness, and then there wasn't even that.

oOo

My eyes fluttered open little by little, until I found myself sitting in the spacious restroom of one of the Bullet Trains. I blinked, rubbed at my eyes, and turned my head a bit from side to side. "I'm here… but where's…?" I murmured into the fuzz between my ears. Then everything rushed back to me, and a horrible thought shook me like a rickety airplane. "Oh my gods! Hoshi! She must have had a hold of her PSMini, and instead of me just coming back, she was… she was…!"

I jumped up and darted around the small compartment, searching frantically for the missing _Universe_. "That book, that book, I've got to get back into that book… ooooh, why didn't I think about that _before_ I ran away? No _wonder_ Taiitsukun kept asking me if I was so sure! Hoshi, Hoshi, I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry…!"

"What are you sorry about?"

I gasped at the voice and whirled to see my best friend standing in the doorway, a small cup in each hand. "Hoshi…" I whispered, and blinked back tears. But the relief was too great, and pretty soon I was diving across the compartment and throwing my arms around my friend, nearly tackling her to the floor in the process. "Oh, thank _God_ you didn't get sucked into the book!"

"Sucked into the book?" she repeated, fighting hard to keep her drinks from spilling. "Really, Miko-chan, do I strike you as _that_ oblivious? I set my PSMini down and brought the book in here, so no one would see your dramatic reappearance. I only left you for a moment so that I might return with something to soothe your throat. I thought you'd surely be parched after such a tiring dimension-trip." She held out her left hand, smiling up at me. "Chai Tea?"

I gripped the cup in trembling fingers, murmuring a "Doumo," before sitting back down and glancing around the room again. "Say, Hoshi-chan, why are we on the train anyway? I got sucked in when I was back at your house."

"Oh, well, I didn't want to be late for school, so I brought the book with me. I had intended to tearfully tell Sensei of your crippling illness, but after I read the first couple of chapters I came to the stunning conclusion that your story ran parallel to the original, and I began to at once hope and fret that you might return before we even arrived." Leave it to my storyteller friend to figure out a fiction device like that. "Luckily, you did, so neither of us must miss the presentation!"

I stared at her. "You read _all_ of what happened to me in less than ten minutes?"

Hoshi giggled nervously and rubbed at the back of her head. "Er… I skimmed. But I got the gist of what happened, I swear!"

My face fell, and I took a slow sip of my tea. "You were right," I murmured with all the dejection of a kid whose puppy just ran away. "It really was just a story. My aunt's adventures… they were all a bunch of lies, weren't they?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, and reached over and sort of gave me a one-armed hug, "but I _do_ know that I'm happy to have you back. The situation became so dire at certain moments, I wasn't entirely certain you'd arrive in one piece, if you arrived at all." She jumped up suddenly, snapping her fingers together. "Sa! That reminds me!" She reached over her shoulder and into her small knapsack, pulling out the greatest invention of all time. "Salvation for my beleaguered Miko-chan, all in one small tube!"

"Hoshi, you're a goddess!" I grabbed the bottle of Med, slipped off my jeans, and slowly unwrapped the bandage on my knee. I held the bottle over my injury and let two slow, off-white drops fall into the wound. My whole leg went numb for a second – I'll _never_ get used to that feeling, I don't think – and the injury bubbled over with foam, like an elementary school volcano experiment. But less than half a minute later the foam cleared, and all that was left of my former gun wound was a bright pink scar, and even _that_ would probably be gone by the end of the day. Better still, every last ounce of pain had vanished from my kneecap. I was starting to feel like myself again already.

"And…" Hoshi held up a red tank top decorated with black cats and a knee-length, black skirt adored with red lace along the bottom hem. I stared at the clothes, then up at Hoshi. She stared right back. "Well, I _know_ it does not resemble your _typical _attire, Miko-chan, but 'twas the only article available in my closet that I thought would meet your approval! Unless, of course, you would prefer to look like a character from a 1980s after-school special?"

I glanced down at my jeans and T-shirt, then back up at the clothes in Hoshi's hands. She was still glaring at me like I'd brutally offended her, in her typical, overly-dramatic way, but to be honest, I'd really missed her theatrical style. Hearing her talk like that, it made the whole ordeal just seem like a dream. "Beggars can't be choosers," I said, quoting one of my grandma's favorite sayings, and set to changing. Hoshi sat back down on the bench, toying with something between her hands. It took me a minute to realize it was _The Universe of the Four Gods._ "Oh, you can hide that back under the seat, if you want," I told her. "_I'm _not going back."

"You think you won't?" Hoshi asked, stuffing the book into her knapsack. She glanced up at me and must have seen the anger in my eyes, because she winced and nodded. "Sorry for asking. I just thought… I mean, Suzaku _did_ choose you as the Miko…"

"Oh, for Buddha's sake, not you too!" I snapped, throwing up my hands and plopping back down on the sofa. "Come _on_, Hoshi-chan, you read all of that, didn't you? You saw the kinds of rotten things that happened to me! And even then, you know, even with all the violence and the killings and the _everything_ about that place, I could've handled it, I really could have, if it hadn't been for those... those scummy, worthless, horrid _seishi_." I spat the word like poison, but changed my mind and added, "No, you know what, I won't even call them that! They don't _deserve_ that title!"

"There's a story behind every story," Hoshi murmured, still staring at the floral-patterned wallpaper across from us. "A life weaves into another life, and another into that, and endlessly into oblivion. If stories spawn stories, and those spawn stories, then where, exactly does _the _story begin? When can the sinners be held accountable for their sins, and when are they simply trapped in the weavings of the author's pen?"

"What are you _talking_ about?" I demanded. "It almost sounds like you're trying to defend those prats!"

Hoshi looked up again and turned to me, smiling slightly. "Gomen, Miko-chan. I went into 'Storyteller Mode,' as you enjoy calling it. I was just… musing, I suppose. About lives – about history – about fiction – about what could have shaped such individuals. But you're right, of course. They all behaved like absolute beasts."

"Of course they did!" I snapped, crossing my arms hard over my chest. "It's a seishi's job to love, serve and protect his Miko, and they royally boffed it, so they get whatever they deserve, and it's of no concern to _me_. End of story."

But as soon as I said that I realized that it wasn't the end of the story, not even close. Because at that exact moment another question exploded into my mind like a nuclear blast, one that shut me up and stopped me dead in my tracks, and had me walking in silence even after the train came to a stop and Hoshi and I hurried to our first hour class:

_If a seishi's job was to love, serve and protect his Miko, then what was the _Miko's_ job?_

* * *

**Japanese Terms:**  
Ojou-sama – polite form of Miss; literally means 'Daughter-sama'  
'Ohayou, minna' – 'Good morning, everyone'  
'Sou desu. Sou deshou ka?' – 'I see. Is that so?' (v. polite)  
'Un' – informal 'yes'  
Onee-chan – Affectionate form of Big Sister  
Okaeri – Welcome home  
Kawaii – Cute  
Tadaima – I'm back  
Otoo-san – Father  
Onii-chan – Brother  
Ittekimasu – I'm going (said when you leave the house)  
Jaa, sayonara – Well, good-bye  
Sunakake-Babaa – Sand-throwing old hag; the name Miaka gave Taiitsukun  
Doumo – Informal 'thanks'

**Suffixes**  
-zan – 'mount' or 'mountain.' So, Taikyoku-zan is 'Mount Taikyoku'  
…And I'm not going to worry about the other suffixes, 'cause I bet you know them by now:-)

**Names Explained!**  
Arisa (有佐) – "Have (Ari) Help (Sa)" – so: "Helper"

**Author's Note 10/16/06**  
Hi everyone!  
Again, the chapter took forever. I know. I'm sorry. College isn't easy, you know! But I hope everyone is still out there reading! So what did you think of this chapter? I had to move things along at kind of a weird pace, so I hope that didn't bother anyone too much. Also, what did you think of Arisa/Alice-chan? Ah, Nuriko's family is shrouded in secrets! Will Mikako ever find out the truth? But I guess she doesn't want to, these days…

Thanks to KittyLynne, Kohaku Minamoto, TigerChickTigress, KiWi, Lady Seiryu, ThePastIsThePast, Meeple, Kristall, antyem13, and DianaLW for reviewing! Wow, I have so many reviews, it's so exciting! It makes me want to post chapters faster. If I can, I will, I promise!

Oh, and thanks to DianaLW for the kanji for "Reizei"! (Remember how I said I couldn't find the kanji, so I didn't know what it meant?) It translates to, "Cool (Rei) Spring (Zei)."

Next time: "Home sweet home" feels great to Mikako, but something isn't sitting right with her. Will Konan ever see its Miko again? See you in the next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	11. Celestial Decision

**Chapter 11: Celestial Decision (I Just Hope It's the Right One…)**  
"Kasumiya-san?"

I glanced up to find myself staring into a pair of confused, kinda-concerned brown eyes framed and slightly magnified by black-framed glasses that he insisted on wearing, despite the fact that he could have gotten lasic correction without hardly any trouble. On any other day, I would've found his expression cute, and the glasses, too. Today was bothersome, though, so I just said, "Hai, Ueda-kun?" and then set my head back down on my arms.

"Is… everything all right? You've seemed pretty bummed since you and McKinsley-san slid into class this morning."

I didn't even look up this time. "Have I? Sorry. It's fine."

"She's just a little peaked from working into the late hours last night, putting the last, magnificent touches on our Glorious History Project," said Hoshi, sweeping to my defense in her typical melodramatic style.

Ueda nodded, or at least I suspect he nodded. I still wasn't looking up at him, but rather at a speck of dust on the nearby classroom wall, trying to figure out why my brain was all in a fuzz today. Normally Ueda-kun asking if I was all right would have sent me into an almost fan-girl state of bliss. But today…

"Your project turned out really well. I'm glad you made it back in time. It was a lot better than anyone else's."

"Yours was nice," I muttered from my arm-cushion, squeezing the Chiriko doll in one of my hands.

"Doumo," he said, and I figured he rubbed at his nose in embarrassment. Ueda-kun always does that when you compliment him, even if it's a shoddy, half-dead compliment like the one I'd just given. His finger came into my range of vision, then his hand, and then half his face, as he poked Chiriko's head. "Chiriko-kun was a good addition. 'Kawaii points,' right?"

"Naturally," said Hoshi, picking up the conversation, though by the tiny bit of an edge in her voice I could tell she was starting to get annoyed with me. "And may I say it succeeded with flying colors! But say, Ueda-kun, how do you know of Chiriko?"

"The Fushigi Yuugi Challenge," we both said at the same time.

Hoshi groaned into her hands, and I actually sat up long enough to giggle. The Fushigi Yuugi Challenge is one of my favorite games to play with my boy-friends. Basically, I give them every episode on a MiniDisc, and they see how far into it they can get before they feel like vomiting. If they make it to the end, I buy them Pocky for an entire semester. So far, only two boys have completed the Challenge. 52-Episode-Plus-Three-OVA-Series-Long Chick Flicks are not for the faint of heart, nor those with an overdose of testosterone.

"So how long did you prevail?" Hoshi asked.

"His Pocky supply runs out in a month," I said in reply, and Hoshi's mouth almost smacked the ground.

"I kept borrowing Kasumiya-san's old manga, and one day she asked me if I wanted to try out the shojo series to end all shojo series. And I'm not one to turn down a good book." Ueda-kun smiled. Sweet Buddha, he's cute. "It was fun. I liked Chiriko the best."

"You would," I teased. "You're always at the top of the class."

"Until you beat me today with your Group Project of the Gods, you mean?"

"Well, yes, until that."

We laughed, and things felt a little better. As the laughter died away, Ueda-kun paused, watching me, and smiled. "Glad to see you looking more like yourself, Kasumiya-san. You've been in such a fog all day I was getting a little worried." Someone from across the room called his name, and Ueda-kun glanced over his shoulder, waving at one of the other boys before shooting me one last smile. "Well, I'm supposed to help Tetsuo with his Japanese homework. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure," I said, waving him off before plopping right back down into my arms.

Hoshi prodded me with her foot. I ignored her, so she prodded me again, harder this time.

"Yes?" I finally said, still staring at the Chiriko doll in my hand.

"Might I inquire, Mika-chan, why the two of you have not been caught, for lack of a better term, 'snogging' in the hallways yet?"

"I doubt he's interested."

"And I doubt you have eyes, ears, and a basic grasp on reality if you truly believe that," Hoshi shot back. I didn't say anything, and I felt her frown. She leaned down so her mouth was closer to my ear, whispering, "I know you're upset about what happened today… well, about what happened over the last few days, for you… but you need to cheer up. Ueda-kun _likes_ you. You could at least invite him to your house to partake of snacks and a movie, instead of staring at your desk as if you were a chronically depressed vampire whose favorite blood-slave just ran away."

I turned to stare at her. "Where do you _think_ of these metaphors, Hoshi-chan?"

"Mm, they just come to me, I suppose. Marvelous, aren't they?"

"If by 'marvelous' you mean 'disturbing,' then yes." I sighed setting my chin in my hands. "And don't worry about me, okay? I'm just tired. Today was a lot longer for me than it was for you."

"Then why think of it? Unless you intend to return, of course."

I snorted. "Yeah, that'll happen," but the way I said it made it sound like I didn't really mean it, and I hated that. Because I _did_ mean it. Didn't I?

"Ne, Mika-chan? We don't have class tomorrow. Care to stay at my house for the night?" That was Hoshi, of course. Reading me like a book, as always.

Book. _Universe of the Four Gods_. Seishi. Bloody awful choice of a simile, I thought with a curse, and said, "Sure," before my head thumped right back into my arms, and I decided to spend the next couple of minutes looking at the back of my eyelids, thinking that maybe _they'd_ tell me why I couldn't get the butterflies to stop banging around in my stomach.

oOo

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a temple. Or at least, I think it was a temple. It felt like one, but I couldn't see anything around me, because the whole place was just covered in shadows, and there was a girl standing in front of me that I would've recognized anywhere, even without the family photos. She was wearing her old junior high uniform, with her hair pulled up in a ponytail over her shoulders, two ear-tails draping the sides of her face. Her brown eyes watched me, curious, concerned, like Ueda-kun had done earlier, but with more seriousness behind the gaze.

"Oba-chan?" I asked, taking a step forward.

She smiled and mirrored me, except she took a step back, disappearing a little into the shadows.

For some reason, that smile _really_ pissed me off. "You know, you should've told your artist friend not to make up so much of that story," I snapped at her. I took another step forward, and she took another step back. "You should've had her tell the truth! And you should've told your family the truth, too. About how none of it was real. About how all those wonderful people you met who loved and protected you were just _made up_!"

By now I was running towards her, but she kept disappearing a little more into the shadows, until _I_ was in the shadows too just to keep up. "Why won't you say anything?" I asked, feeling something catch in the back of my throat. "I grew up thinking your story was the greatest one ever told – a dream come true! I spent my life thinking that I'd _want_ that story all to myself, if I only had the good luck to find it. And then when I do… when things look like they're going to be just perfect…"

And then her lips moved, and no sound came out, but I could read the words like they'd been stamped into the air.

"_Why are you crying?"_

I rubbed at my cheeks, because until that moment I hadn't realized that I was crying. "Because I'm _pissed_!" I screamed across the darkness. "Because you lied to me! Because those people were supposed to revere me and love me and protect me, too!"

"_Says who?" _she asked, again without saying anything.

"That's what the legend _says_! That's what your story _says_!" I shouted, voice breaking on just about every other word. "That's what—"

Cutting me off this time, one word, one bright word that felt like it'd been thrown across the room in neon letters, pounding into my chest.

"_Usotsuki_."

"Liar…?" I repeated, choking for air under the word. "But you… you're the one who lied to _me_!"

And again, straight through the heart:

"_Usotsuki."_

Only this time the word really _did_ slam into me, so much that I fell off my feet, and dropped, down and down for what I thought must've been an eternity, until my bottom hit the ground with a _whump!_ I groaned, rubbing at my backside, until a hand reached down to help me to my feet.

I took the hand without much thought and looked up, and staring down at me was my aunt, again, like she'd followed me all this way. Her expression wore that same look of bafflement and concern, like she wanted to help me but didn't have the faintest idea how to do it, and her shoulders tilted upwards in that little half-shrug that I saw my mom and sometimes my grandma do, like _'well, I'm lost. Better just keep at it I guess.'_

I stood again, and we looked at each other again, through the shadows, through the ages, maybe, and I thought about yelling at her some more, but my anger had dried up like an overused well. So instead I just said, "How am I a liar?"

She shrugged again. _"Saa ne?"_

I woke up with a start, half-snorting into my sleeves, my arms slapping against the desk. Nakamura-sensei glared at me, and half the class sniggered. I rubbed hard at my eyes, and I think I might have apologized to Sensei, but mostly I was trying to work the fuzz out of my brain again. Because there was something I wasn't thinking about, and it was driving me crazy. Something I should've known and never forgotten, but couldn't seem to stick.

"I'm not a liar," I grumbled into my hands, staring out the nearby window at the schoolyard. "I'm _not_."

oOo

I got through the rest of the class okay, I don't know how. It was the last one of the day at least, so I didn't have to worry about pretending to be interested any longer. I just got up and walked out the door, Hoshi on my heels.

"Volleyball Club today," Hoshi remarked airily.

"Let's skip it," I said.

"As expected," Hoshi replied with that same never-you-mind kind of tone. "Straight to my house, then?"

"Hoshi," I said suddenly, stopping in the hallway, staring hard at the wall across the way. "What're the opening lines to _Fushigi Yuugi_?"

"This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true after she came to possess the seven stars of Suzaku, and many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell. The one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish like the girl in the story. Because the story begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned," she answered just like that, like she'd just had that stored away somewhere in a databank in her brain. Hoshi _never_ forgets opening lines from stories.

Normally I'd tease her about it, but I didn't have time that day. "And what about the legend? Just give me a summary."

"That the Priestess would come to the land when a great danger was upon it, to save its people," Hoshi explained.

I chewed on my lip. "I'd forgotten," I murmured to no one, really. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hoshi open her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it. "Well, let's get back to your house, okay? Your dad likes to know when there's company, so he can make some kind of feast for dinner, ne?"

"Mika-chan…"

I turned and smiled at her. "We can play_ SBA3_" _– Samurai Battle Arena 3, _for you non-gamers out there – "if we get there before your little sister does. I haven't been able to play that in _ages_."

Hoshi looked like she might try again, but she stopped and shook her head. "Oh, very well. But we certainly must hurry if you wish to accomplish _that_ feat – my sister has been known to guard that game with her very life."

oOo

Hoshi and I spent the evening pleasantly enough, except that I couldn't get those thoughts out of my head, and I think Hoshi could tell, too, because she beat me almost every time in _SBA3, _and that's my all-time favorite fighting game, hands-down. She didn't say anything though, not for a long time anyway, and just sort of let us enjoy the evening. That's one of the things I love about her. I guess she's written so many stories by now that she knows when the best moment is to introduce a new plot point. Or maybe she's just a really good friend. Sometimes it's hard to tell with Hoshi, but I like to go with Number Two, most of the time.

Finally, just as we finished watching an episode of_ Beat-March_, one of our favorite comedies, and we were starting to think about maybe going down to the building's Rec Center and playing some tennis, Hoshi rolled over on her bed, her lacy Lolita headdress dangling down into her curly blond half-bangs, looked me right in the eye and said, "You're going back, aren't you." It wasn't even a question.

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

"Any particular reason for the change of heart?"

I took another deep breath, turning one of Hoshi's heart pillows over and over in my hands. "I kept forgetting," I said after a moment. "Tamahome said it so many times. 'I live for the Miko.' 'I was created for the Miko.' 'I exist to protect Miaka.' So many times… Ne, Hoshi-chan? D'you remember the first time I sat you down and showed you _Fushigi Yuugi_?" She blinked, nodding. "And d'you remember how I used to complain about my great-aunt – about how I thought Watase-san _must_ have embellished her character, because there was no way my relative could be that dense? And how I used to grumble that Yui would've made a better Suzaku no Miko, because she was so much more responsible, and all Miaka did was get people into trouble?" Hoshi nodded, slowly. "And d'you remember what you said to all that?"

"Of course," she said, propping her chin up in her hands. "I said—"

"'Surely you jest. Yui was the most awful Miko the world has ever seen!" we both said, Hoshi quoting from her databank memory, and me from my scattered thoughts, the ones that I'd just started remembering again.

I nodded, picking up the story again. "I remember that, because it took me by such surprise. And you said, how Yui basically ignored all of her seishi, because she was so concerned with her petty revenge, and how she allowed Nakago to become the Miko, in a sense, so she could focus all of her feelings on Tamahome and Miaka. You told me that she never even met half her seishi, it seemed, and with the exceptions of Nakago and Suboshi she rarely spoke to any of them. And I said—"

"'Well, Miaka spent half her time ogling Tamahome'," Hoshi quoted. "To which I responded, 'Yes, Miko-chan, but she spent the other half genuinely caring for the people with whom she resided. She worked hard to make herself favorable towards Nuriko. She tried to help Hotohori understand his nation and become a more suitable Emperor, and perhaps she wanted to love him, in a confused sort of way. She unintentionally provided Onii-chan'," that's Hoshi's nickname for Chichiri, him being the Big Brother in the group and all, "'with a new reason to live, a reason that helped him overcome his past. She agreed to help Tasuki regain his position on Reikaku, even though Koji had kidnapped her and the other seishi. She never gave up on Mitsukake, and eventually helped Shouka-san to pass away peacefully. And, yes, even the poor under-developed Chiriko-chan looked up to her, in the same way _she_ looked up to him. Miaka _cried_ for her seishi, Mika-chan. How many tears did you see fall from Yui's ice-blue eyes?'"

Like I said. A databank.

I nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, that's what you said. At the time, I thought you were nuts. Miaka was such an _idiot_. The way I saw it, she just kept throwing her seishi into danger and getting them killed. And maybe she did, too. But then again, so did Yui, and _Yui_ did it on purpose. And Yui never cried for her 'lesser' seishi, for Tomo and Miboshi and Ashitare and Soi. And Yui's seishi, except for Suboshi, except _maybe_ for Nakago, never really cared about her. So of course she lost. Of course." My eyes flicked up to Hoshi's face. "How is it that I never got that until just now?"

"Mm, perhaps you resided in a deluded fantasy realm where attractive men simply threw themselves lovingly into your arms without you having to do the least amount of effort in kind?"

I threw a pillow at her head, laughing. "Can't you be serious?"

"I _am _being serious," she said, but she was laughing when she said it, too. "So you've figured it out now, hm?"

"Probably not," I told her with my family's half-shrug, our standard _'oh well, let's push ahead' _stubbornness. "But maybe I'm starting to. 'Total devotion' from the seishi was never in the job description, was it? The Miko's job was to save her nation, her people, even her seishi, when they were in greatest need of her. They're _still_ rotten gits, all three of them, but…" I steeled myself. "But Suzaku chose _me_. And I've got to do what I can to live up to that, otherwise things'll never get better. So I'll just have to go in there and beat some sense into their heads, one by one, with a sledgehammer, if I have to."

Hoshi smiled. "That's my hard-headed Miko-chan. I was thinking you'd gone on vacation or something." My best friend stood, popping her back and reaching for the book, sitting on her nightstand. "Well, shall we go?"

I blinked at her. "_We_?" I repeated, deer-in-headlights-style.

"Of course," she said, slinging her knapsack over one shoulder. "Do you really think I would let my dearest friend in this wide, wide universe venture into hostile territory alone?"

"But," I began, and there were maybe a thousand ways to end that sentence, except for some reason I chose one of the silliest, "whose going to finish reading the book if you aren't here? The story won't end unless someone _reads_ it to its finale, I think."

Hoshi frowned. "Hm. You have a valid point." She tapped her foot on the carpet. "Well, we certainly cannot inform my parents or sister. We must find someone trustworthy, and willing to believe us… but the only person who would possibly believe us is someone who has seen or read _Fushigi Yuugi, _and _who_, in this day and age, has read _Fushigi Yuu…_"

She trailed off, eyes lighting up, mine doing the same. Our heads snapped up at the same time, and we said as one:

"Ueda-kun!"

oOo

Five minutes later we sat on the train heading over to Ueda-kun's house. We all live in the same area, more or less, but Ueda-kun's on the third story, Ichigo Hall, and we didn't want to bother walking that far.

"I'm shocked your dad let us go so easy," I remarked to Hoshi, staring out the window at the blinking lights of the residential section. "Sometimes he can be really old-fashioned when it comes to girls sleeping over in boys' houses."

"True, but he is fairly well acquainted with Ueda-kun's family. Not to mention he is _always _more lenient when it comes to female dousei homes," Hoshi said. "I suppose he concludes that the boys will have a deeper respect for the fairer sex." The train started to clink to a halt, and Hoshi stood, looping her bag back across her shoulder. "And we have arrived! Are you prepared for this conversation, Miko-chan?"

"As prepared as I'm gonna get," I told her, and we stepped out into Ichigo Hall. We'd had a couple of other sleepover parties at Ueda-kun's house before, to play games or work on school projects, so we didn't have any trouble finding his house, and probably his parents would be all right with us staying the night on such short notice. _That _wasn't the thing we had to worry about. I touched the book under my arm possessively, and wondered how in the world I was going to explain this.

Hoshi rang the doorbell, which we could hear singing happily away in the small home. Ueda-kun's 'Okaa-san,' Tomoyo, answered, still wearing her workout clothes. She's a nut for sports, old-school, high-tech, extreme, or otherwise. "Ah! Hoshi-san, Mika-san! Konban wa!" Friendliest woman you'll ever meet, too. "I guess you'll be here for Eiri, eh? He didn't mention friends coming over, but then again, he walked in with his nose stuck in a book, so it doesn't surprise me." She stepped back, letting us in and calling over her shoulder, "Oi, Sakuya, we've got some guests!"

Tomoyo's wife – Ueda-kun's ''Kaa-chan,' as he calls her – poked her head out of the nearby living room, waving cheerily to us. She had her hair pulled back in a bun, which meant we'd probably caught her in the middle of grading papers (she's a teacher at a nearby grade-school). "Kon-wa, girls! Go on up to Eiri's room. If you want to take some cakes with you, I've got a few left on the kitchen counter."

"Thanks Ueda-san," I said with a smile, "but Hoshi's dad fixed us the dinner to end all dinners, so we're not too hungry right now. Maybe later?"

"Of course! Just call if you need anything!" and she ducked back into the living room, back to her papers, no doubt.

We waved good-bye to the other Ueda mother and hurried up the stairs, me still clutching the _Universe of the Four Gods_ to my side like it was some kind of prized jewel. Again, I lost my nerve, so Hoshi wound up knocking on Ueda-kun's door, too.

"Come in!" someone inside called a second later. Hoshi and I accepted the offer, and found Ueda-kun perched on his puffy reading pillow, nose buried in a book. His eyes flickered up for half a second, went back to the novel in his hands – then flew up again, widening. "Gyah!"

He snapped the book shut, standing hurriedly and smoothing out his hair. He was wearing what might have been pajamas – we'd caught him more off-guard than even we'd guessed. I had to smile, though, because he looked so adorable when he was ruffled like that. "Kon-wa, Ueda-kun," I offered in greeting.

"Wh-what are you two doing here? You didn't call, or mention anything in school to me about coming over, so I wasn't… ano…" he looked around, realized his Yuuko Ichido album was still playing in the background, and ordered, "Off," to the nearby, plain-model Persocom, which obliged after a second.

"Oh, you needn't do that. I rather enjoy that song," Hoshi remarked, trying out an innocent smile.

Ueda-kun wasn't having it, though. He stared at us, waiting for an explanation. Finally, I sighed, holding up the book in my hands. "D'you know what this is, Ueda-kun?"

He stared at the cover for a while, and I could almost hear his brain clicking as he picked out the kanji – probably knew all of them, too, smart guy that he was – before he finally looked up and said, "_The Universe of the Four Gods_. Like from _Fushigi Yuugi_. You never told me Watase-san actually made a version of the book. Is it a 'choose-your-own-adventure' story?"

"Something like that," I muttered. "See, Ueda-kun… there's something about my family that you oughta know…"

So I told him the whole story, front to back, trying as hard as I could not to leave anything out. There was so _much_ to tell, really, but I managed to get through it all in about an hour, with Ueda-kun sitting back on his oversized pillow, eyes wide one minute, then narrowed and thoughtful the next, and back and forth from start to finish until I couldn't tell if he believed me or thought I was cho-nuts. Finally, I took a break and said, "…And that's pretty much the story."

"Why would you want to go back?" Ueda-kun asked.

I blinked. I'd expected him to say something like _"Do you think I'm daft? Only a blathering idiot would believe _thatStill kind of surprised, I stumbled through my answer. "Because, well, because, I guess it's just that, Suzaku did choose _me _and all, for some reason, and even if they are, you know, I just feel like I… um… well..."

I trailed off and he nodded, glancing towards Hoshi. "And you want to go with her because?"

"She needs a friend in that hostile place," she told him. He watched her for another second and she scowled. "Do you honestly believe that _I_ wish to become a Miko as well? Do I look that foolish to you?"

I guess Ueda-kun accepted that, because he moved on. "And you need _me_ to finish reading the story," he finished, chin in hands. "Well. How do you know the book won't suck me in, too?"

"Because you're a boy," we answered as one, again.

"That's not very fair."

"Sure it is," I said with a wave of my hand. "You men oppressed us for the better part of two millennia, so now _we _get to summon gods and live at least ten years longer."

"Seems fair to me," Hoshi agreed, nodding vigorously.

"But… do you really believe us?" I asked, unable to hold it in any more.

Ueda-kun smiled at me. "Kasumiya-san, you know everything there is to know about a manga-anime series that was published almost a century ago. You own UFO dolls, gaiden novels, figurines, cosplay costumes, and I don't even _know_ what else. Truth be told, it's _easier_ to believe that you'd have all that stuff because they're family treasures." His eyes curled upwards as his smile widened. "Otherwise, I'd just have to think you were some kind of creepy fan-girl."

I sweatdropped, or at least I imagined that I did. "Uh, thanks."

Hoshi giggled. "Now that all of that is settled, shall we be on our way?"

Ueda-kun held up a finger. "Chotto." He pointed the finger first at me, then back at Hoshi. "In the original, the two girls went in together, but one was sent back. _And_, when both did inhabit the book at the same time, they were separated, and pretty terrible things happened to them. What are you going to do about all of that?"

Hoshi smiled her sweetest. "I carry a stun-laser." Ueda's eyes grew to about the size of dinner plates. "Well, I certainly can't have hentai old men harassing me at night when I return from my Writer's Circle meetings, now can I?"

"Oh…" Ueda-kun muttered. "Um, well, then…"

I grabbed Hoshi's hand. "We'll hold onto each other," I assured him. "On our way in, we'll hold on, and we'll do everything we can not to let go of each other. And, if for some reason, we are separated…" I glanced over at Hoshi. "I'll know where to find her."

"Kutou," she supplied with a smile. "Possibly in the company of a blonde seishi."

"But not as a Miko."

"_Never_ as a Miko."

"Ready, Hoshi-chan?"

"Ready, Miko-chan."

I glanced up at Ueda-kun. "Ready, Ueda-kun?" He nodded, still at something of a loss – maybe still reeling from the idea that sweet, doll-like Hoshi would carry a stun-laser in her lacy skirts. I set the book down on Ueda-kun's desk, staring hard at the cover.

"Ready, Mikako?" I muttered to myself, but before I could let myself answer that question – and let myself rethink all this mess – I flipped back the cover, opening it to the next blank page. And then, just like before, except with one hand looped around Hoshi's, I fell into that bright red flood of lights, and I heard Suzaku crying, somewhere – and I decided that I'd stop that horrid, heart-wrenching sound, one way or another – and then the world flooded over into darkness, and Hoshi and I, without any real idea as to what we were doing, or what we'd do when we got there, or even if we'd get there together, disappeared back into that hostile, dangerous, and terribly sad world.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:**  
Arigatou – thank you  
Doumo – thanks (informal)  
Kawaii – cute  
shojo – girl; for anime and manga, usually stories dealing with love & relationships  
Usotsuki – liar  
"Saa ne?" – "Who knows?"  
Onii-chan – Big Brother (affectionate)  
Ichigo – Strawberry  
Dousei – same-sex; homosexuality  
Konban wa – Good evening (Kon-wa is the informal way to say it)  
Chotto – One sec (literally: 'a little')

**Names Explained!  
**Okaa-san – a normal form of 'Mom.' What Ueda-kun calls the 'father-figure' in his family.  
'Kaa-chan – a very affectionate, informal form of 'Mom.' What Ueda-kun calls the 'mother-figure' in his family.  
(I did this in Japanese because I didn't know how to do it in English without it getting confusing.)

**Author's Note: 12/10/06**  
Hello everyone!  
I finally got this chapter written! It really didn't take that long; it's just that I got sort of busy, as usual, so I didn't get to work on it very often. Sorry about that! Hopefully since Winter Break is here (hooray!) I'll be able to update quicker, so maybe there'll be a chapter by Christmas? I can hope, at least. We're back in Konan next time, so things will pick up pace again, and who knows, another seishi might show up before long…

Thanks to TigerChickTigress, antyem13, DianaLW, mrgxshinju, dot.turtle, Amaya-san, SkylarkRose, ThePastIsThePast, inuphantom13, BlackRainWillFall, and Rai Takaya for reviewing! Wow, I had a bunch of new people this time… that's so exciting! Thank you all so much for reviewing, and I hope you'll let me know what you thought of this chapter, too!

Next Time: Mikako's decided to push forward, but that doesn't mean things are going to get easier. What's she going to do about her seishi, especially Riki? See you in the next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	12. Family Ties

**Chapter Twelve: Family Ties (And They Couldn't be Looser)**  
I opened my eyes just in time to see the red haze fade into a room, and then my bottom hit something with a soft _plop!_ and I found myself gazing into a bunch of surprised, stern faces of old-to-middle-aged men.

"Ah…" someone under me and behind me gasped.

I had half-expected the voice to belong to Hotohori, and was ready to smack him if he tried something ecchi on me, but the tone was much too high to belong to the sleaze ball Emperor. I turned, stared straight into Joumi's wide eyes and blinked. "Oh. Joumi-senpai. What are you…?"

"Hime-sama!" one of the older men cried, jerking up from his chair. "What is the meaning of all of this? Who in the gods' names is—?"

Joumi smiled up at me, then past me, her smile becoming much more strained this time. "Calm down, Yutaka-sama. This is the young miko my honored brother mentioned to you before. It seems she has returned from her home world." Back her eyes flicked to me, and again, the smile looked genuine. "Thank the heavens," she added.

I clambered off her lap and stared at my feet, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm back. So… how long was I gone?"

"A month and a half," she answered. "I must say we had begun to fear for the worst, but I refused to lose hope. I knew you would not let us down. Something inside of me just believed it." Past me again, to the men, and with more forced politeness than I thought capable out of that sweet little mouth, "Might we not continue this discussion later in the evening? I've no doubt the miko wishes to be briefed on the current status of the empire, as well as her seishi's whereabouts."

The men were still staring at me, some with their mouths flapping wide open, and a few with suspicion and even hatred stamped all across the faces. It _had_ to be that gitty Council Riki had mentioned. No one else could look that bitter all the time. I tried my best to smile at them, but, like Joumi's, it came out sort of forced. Something about those just-swallowed-a-lemon faces seemed to suck the happiness right out of you. For a second, I almost felt sorry for Hotohori, having to deal with these chaps on a regular basis.

After what felt like a century, the oldest stood again, nodding officiously. "Very well then, Hime-sama. We will meet again tomorrow evening, but not a minute later. The Suzaku no Miko warrants respect, but so does the nation. See that you do not forget that."

The twelve men rose, leaving in a hurry, and I heard Joumi grumble under her breath, "Perhaps if _you_ saw to the nation as well as you complain about it, the situation would not _need_ quite so much attention." I looked up just in time to see a shadow pass across her face, then fall away again, and she was her sweet self once more. "Now, Mika-chan, how _are_ you? I take it your trip home proved beneficial?"

I nodded, and managed a real grin this time. "It really did, Joumi-senpai. Sorry if I made everyone worry." Well, better get down to business. "Where's Hotohori? And Nuriko? I need to talk to them about finding the other seishi, and getting back Riki – er, Tamahome. Also…" I glanced around the long chamber, on the lookout for white lace and black ribbons, though a part of me had sort of _known_ I wouldn't find anything. "Oh, hell, I was afraid this would happen… do you think we could do a search of the palace for a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl dressed in Gothic-Lolita clothes? And let me know by this afternoon if we haven't found her. I'll need to make a quick run to Kutou, if that's the case."

Joumi just stared at me for a long, almost painful moment. I guess my barrage of no-nonsense, down-to-business questions had thrown her off guard. Couldn't really blame her, though. When I'd last seen her, I hadn't even wanted to _think _about that jerk of an Emperor, much less talk to him. She found her voice a second later, though she still sounded completely lost. "Etto… y-yes, I'll alert the guards right away… as for my brother, well…" she sighed, rubbing at her arm and staring out the nearby window. "After we did not hear from you for two weeks, he began to think you had abandoned us. Took a turn for the worse, I am afraid to say – through no fault of yours, of course, Mika-chan," she added hastily, as if my feelings might have been hurt. Yeah, I was real torn up about making _that_ prat depressed. "At any rate, he retreated to his holiday home in Sairou."

"He WHAT?" I roared so loud that Joumi almost jumped right out of her skirts. "And he left _you_ in charge, didn't he?" She winced, nodding, and I steamed even harder. "Of all the… call him up, _right now_, and tell him to get his ass back to this palace! If he wants to become a halfway decent Emperor, than he'd better learn that he can't ditch his people just because _he's_ feeling a little gloomy!" Joumi all but came to attention, nodding again in agreement. I crossed my arms hard over my chest, heading towards the nearby door that I figured led to the outer veranda. The Hime-sama followed a step behind, and I thought she was about to say something, but I cut her off, too wound up in my mission to get slowed down now. "What about Nuriko?"

"Sh-she should be on the palace grounds," Joumi stumbled, still in a near-state of shock. "You might try calling on her at home, or I could page her, if you'd like, M-Miko-sama…"

"We'll do both. I wanna talk to her sister for a minute, anyway." I paused, turning to look back at the wide-eyed woman. "And did you just call me Miko-sama?"

"H-hai."

"I thought I asked you not to do that. It sounds so stiff. Like you're my noble servant or something."

Joumi glanced at me shyly through her bangs. "W-well, right now I _feel_ a little bit like your noble servant, Mika-chan."

I blushed, and could've sworn I sweatdropped. "Oh. Sorry. When I get an idea in my head I can get kind of tyrannical about it."

"It's quite all right. To be honest, I'm pleased to see you acting so certain of yourself."

"Yeah, you prob'ly aren't used to that, huh?" I agreed. "But I did some thinking, back home, so I'm ready now. I'm the Miko, and there are things I need to take care of. So, I'm gonna take care of them." I stopped and flashed her a small smile. "But I'm _not_ gonna do it like a dictator. So, let me try this again: Joumi-senpai, would you mind helping me pound some sense into my seishi's thick skulls, starting with your brother?"

She laughed, and for one of the first times I saw that strained young woman look happy, like maybe she thought I really _could_ follow through on all of my ambitions. "I'd be delighted, Mika-chan. I'll make the necessary phone calls right away."

"Great. Then _I'll_ nip over to Nuriko's house and see if it's time for tea."

oOo

I really didn't have the faintest idea as to what I'd _say_ to Alice if I saw her, but I was a girl on a mission, at that point, and had decided that thinking too much would just make me want to go home anyway. So, with the kind of blind determination that I used to yell at Miaka about whenever I watched _Fushigi Yuugi_, I marched right up to that little house in the palace courtyard, squared my feet, and rapped twice on the door.

Naturally, Alice, answered, and naturally, she took one look at me and slammed the door in my face.

I knocked again. "C'mon, Alice-san, let me in. I just wanna talk."

"NO!" she shouted back. "Didn't I tell you that I didn't ever want to see you again, you scummy Miko?"

"But that's just _it_!" I cried through the wood, trying very hard to keep some bits of my temper while at the same time whipping a hundred different possible things I could say through my brain. Maybe I _should_ have given this more thought, I decided with an inward sigh. "I don't know what I _did_ to make you hate me so much."

"Why do you even care?" she snarled, popping the door open a few centimeters so she could yell it to my face. "All you're after are your stupid wishes, and you don't need _me_ for that! Onee-chan isn't here, and even if she was I wouldn't tell her about you, so just _piss off_, okay?"

Those few centimeters were all I needed. I wedged my foot into the crack, and didn't budge even when she tried to close the door again, practically snapping off my toes in the process. "Why is it that everyone seems to think I'm only here to say 'Suzaku make me rich and beautiful!' and then fly off to my own world? Did you ever consider that the legend says the Miko will show up when Konan _is in danger_, and maybe she might be here to actually help people out, too?"

Alice stopped for a second, though the light of hatred never once left her eyes. I took a breath, figuring this was probably the only chance I'd ever have to get her to hear me out. "Look, Alice-san, the way I see it, we can do this two ways. I can come inside, you can tell me what I did to get you so upset, and we can discuss it like civilized young adults over some of your Benedick-style tea."

"Or?"

I flashed her a tiny, crooked smile. "Or you can throw biscuits at me again and I can have Joumi-senpai telephone your sister. Either way, I'll probably walk out of this palace with Nuriko. But the first way _would_ be a lot more pleasant."

Alice opened the door another half-a-centimeter, still scowling, but not quite as venomously this time. "Why don't you just ask Onee-chan? She's your little pet, isn't she?"

I rolled my eyes. "If she's anyone's pet, it's the Emperor's." Alice snorted at that, and it was close enough to a laugh to encourage me. "And besides, I bet she wouldn't give me the right story. _She_ doesn't seem to think I've done anything to her, from what I can tell. And all she told me in the car was that her brother was dead, and that's why she's where she is now."

The younger girl's eyes widened. "She said that?" I nodded and Alice jerked away from the door, moving inside just far enough to throw her hands into the air and slam her foot into the back of the nearby sofa. "AGH! SHE IS SUCH A LIAR!"

I jumped at the scream, but decided that it was my best chance to get inside the house. I slipped through the open doorway, curiosity peaked. "Liar? What…?"

But Alice, talkative as always, wasn't even about to let me get in a word edgewise. "Dead, huh? Well let me tell you something Mikako he might be dead to that rotten old bastard we call 'Otoo-san' but that doesn't mean he's dead to me and it shouldn't mean that he's dead to her! She used to follow him around like he was the sun and the moon, _I_ remember that, even if she refuses to, but oh no, now that _that_ rotten old bastard doesn't want to have a word with him than he must be as good as dead to _her_, too! Of all the… Onee-chan no baka! Baka baka BAKA!"

And she kicked the sofa again, punctuating each 'baka' with another _whump!_ until I thought the cute little sofa might just keel over from all the punishment. I looked around, wary suddenly, asking, "Ano… Nuriko isn't here, I hope?"

"Eh?" she turned, blinking, like maybe she'd forgotten I was there. "Oh," she said after she'd come back to earth. "No. She's off touring the grounds." She flopped onto the couch, and I took a seat across from her in a chair, waiting for a story. "_Moping_, is what I call it. Any time the Emperor goes on holiday she gets like this. _I _keep telling her that she should enjoy a little time off from kissing his boots, but it's like she loses all reason for existing when that guy isn't here, like all she has is her job and she's gotta do it _just right_ and if she doesn't have that then it's a no-go, might-as-well-be-dead kind of world. It's so annoying."

She clasped her hands on her knees, staring at the table that separated us. "But that's mostly all that rotten bastard's fault. If he'd just get his head into the here and now instead of always doing things the traditional way, instead of being so _dull_ and miserable all the time, just 'cause he lost his leg in the war and couldn't go out killing anyone else, he had to make the whole family suffer for it. No wonder 'Kaa-san died giving birth to me – she was probably too worn out by his ranting all the time."

Alice stopped for breath and I plunged forward, afraid that she'd ramble on forever if I didn't get the conversation pointed in a real direction. "So your brother's still alive?"

"Well either that or he's got bloody good penmanship for a corpse, seeing as how we send letters back and forth all the time," she snapped, flopping back against the couch and stretching her arms over her head "He's touring in Hokkan right now. _You've _probably never heard of them, but he's a part of the Eiyou Taps, a group of really famous dancers who travel all over the place performing. He's one of the leads." She heaved a sigh and lowered her arms again, slumping almost over her knees. "That's where the whole problem started, y'know. Otoo-san's traditional ideas, and Onii-chan's dream. The oldest son _always_ joins the military, the oldest daughter _always_ joins the Imperial harem, the next sons become politicians and lawyers, and the next daughters can jolly well do whatever they please, for all the parents care."

"And your brother didn't want to follow that?"

She nodded. "Oh, he went along with it for a while, but he and Otoo-san were always at odds. Onii-chan _hated _war, about as much as Otoo-san hated dancing and anything else that involved happiness. The only reason Onii-chan was even able to _learn_ dancing was 'cause 'Kaa-san encouraged it, and then he was able to keep it up 'cause he promised that rotten bastard that he'd join the military as soon as he was out of high school. And he did… for a while. But they discharged him after, what was it, six months?"

"What happened?" I asked, though I knew she was going to tell me. Alice was on a roll.

"Just what Onee-chan and I always _knew _would happen. Someone other than the two of us finally found out that Onii-chan had been dating a _guy_ for almost four years, and by 'dating' I don't just mean visiting restaurants and trading pecks on the cheek. And, well, you know how the military is about _that_." She covered her mouth with her hands and her voice rose about two octaves into this really obnoxious whine as she mocked, "Oooooh, _ger-oss! _Why if we let someone like _that_ queer stick around, he'll contaminate the entire military, and then no one will ever want to fight because they'll be too busy having that dirty _gay_ _sex thing_ together! Oh no, oh no!" She dropped her hands and stuck out her tongue. "Morons. Of course Onii-chan was perfectly happy with the situation, because it meant he could go back to doing what he wanted, but _that_ rotten old bastard threw a fit and tossed him out of the house. Disowned him, is what he did. So now Onii-chan's practically famous and following his dream, and I'm the only person in the family who seems to give a damn about it. Can you believe that? Even Onee-chan stopped talking to him! _That _tore him up, let me tell you, seeing his darling 'Mi-chan' turn on him." She shrugged, turning her nose into the air. "But what can you do, right? _She's_ so bleeding dedicated to that rotten old bastard that she'd cut off her own head if it suited him. I don't get it at all…"

"And _that's_ why she joined the military," I concluded, satisfied, though I still hadn't figured out what Alice had against _me_.

"That's right," she agreed, then seemed to remember who she was talking to and scowled, pointing an accusing finger at my chest. "And that stupid symbol helped her get away with it! She'd been prepping to enter the harem her entire life, and even if she _was_ kind of a tomboy she was real petite, too, and she never would've made it through basic training if her seishi symbol hadn't shown up and made her all crazy-strong! And she started getting all quiet and cold after that, too! So it's _your_ fault she's stuck here, and it's _your _fault she's so gloomy all the time, and that's why I hate you, and there's nothing you can do about. So there!" And away the nose went into the air again.

She sat there waiting for me to defend myself, but I had other things on my mind. "I wonder why Nuriko's so determined to please her father. If she really loves her brother as much as you say she did, then it doesn't really make sense… And what made her decide to join the Imperial Guard, anyway? I think there's more to this than you think, Alice-san."

"Huh!" she scoffed. "Don't try to turn this around so it isn't about _you_. Onee-chan follows that old man so much because she doesn't want to let him down. She's _always_ saying that. 'I can't fail him.' 'I don't want to fail anyone.' 'Disappointment is unforgivable.' And she decided to join the Imperial Guard because it's the hardest branch of the military and so she figured that'd be the only way she could make that miserable old man happy. And if that's not a good enough reason for you, oh, I don't know, maybe she's in love with the Emperor! How's that for an answer, Mikako? It makes as much bloody sense as anything else bloody well does!"

I frowned, looking up and meeting her eyes. "You might be right about that," I said, much to her surprise. And the idea had surprised me a little, too, because I hadn't thought about it much until right then, when Alice had said it. Everything was so _different _here, it was hard to know what to expect and what to toss out the window. But she _was_ still Nuriko, and he _was_ still Hotohori… I shook my head, returning to more important matters. "Well I'm sorry you hate me, Alice-san, but it's not like I _told_ Nuriko to join the military and wipe out all her emotions." A look of pure indignation crossed her face, and she opened her mouth to yell at me, but this time I beat her to it. "Still, I can see why you'd be upset. You sorta lost both your older siblings, because of this. So how about if I make a promise to you? When I'm with Nuriko, I'll try to get her to make some decisions on her own, _without_ anyone's orders. I'll also talk to her about her brother, and her father, and see if I can't crack this a little farther than you have."

"I told you, there's nothing more to _crack_! Onee-chan is just stupid, that's all!"

"Maybe," I agreed, because it was the best thing to do with the firecracker sitting across from me. I got the feeling that if I tried arguing, I'd wind up with a broken chair across my back, pro-wrestler style. "So does that sound like a fair trade? Maybe it'll keep you from throwing me out of the house this time?"

Alice kicked at the table, looking for a second like a five-year old who'd just been told she had to apologize for knocking over her mean neighbor's flower pots. But then she looked up again. "You won't keep her all the time, like that koutei-baka does, will you? She can come home and visit me a lot, right?"

I giggled at her nickname for the Emperor. "Of course. She seems a little more human when she's around you. It makes her less scary."

"Hm…" Alice chewed thoughtfully on her lip for a moment before flashing me a full-fledged grin and extending her hand. "Deal!"

We shook, sealing the pact, just as the front door opened. "Arisa-chan, I have been informed that the Suzaku no Miko has returned, so…" Nuriko trailed off, eyes widening at the sight of us pumping hands like old school buddies. "Ah. I see you already… knew, then…"

I looked up and waved. "Oh, ni-hao, Nuriko! Sorry for intruding, but I thought you might be home, so I stopped by." My eyes sparkled as I added, "Alice-san and I just made up. Isn't that cho-wonderful?"

The very tiniest of smiles tugged at one side of my seishi's mouth. "I am pleased to see that I do not have to scrub tea stains out of the furniture, this time." My eyes almost popped out of my head. Had _Nuriko_ just made a _joke_? But before I could get over my surprise she seemed to remember herself and slammed her face back into its usual, stone-blank expression. She looked at me with those dead eyes again, and again I felt a little spooked by it. "What was it you needed me for, Mikako?"

"Oh. Right." I stood, dusting off my skirt and remembering that I was still wearing Hoshi's clothes. "Well, first I need to change into something that fits this world a little better…" I met Nuriko's eyes again, cocking my head to the side in a half-challenge, half-request. "Then I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming downtown with me. I don't know my way around very well."

She blinked again, eyes wide and a bit puzzled. For some reason, I just loved seeing that composed face caught off guard. Judging by the impish smile on Alice's face, I thought that she probably did, too. "Ah, I can accompany you, Mikako, but why must you travel into _that_ dangerous place?"

I gritted my teeth to keep from wincing at my plans. I knew exactly what I had to do. That didn't mean I had to _like _the idea, though. "I need to retrieve a wandering Riki."

oOo

Nuriko and I popped into Joumi's quarters for about half a minute, just to get a few details about the palace's current situation. The Hime-sama seemed to think everything would be fine without us for a few days, but she hoped we wouldn't be gone for more than a week. She'd also just finished speaking with her brother, and after some cajoling she'd gotten him to agree to come home in a few days, once he got a chance to go shopping at some little strip along the beach. Apparently he wanted to get us all some souvenirs. Whatever. Lastly, I asked about the search for Hoshi, and got the answer I'd pretty much been expecting.

"There is no one who fits your description in the palace, Mika-chan. Either your friend is not on the premises, or she is very good at hiding."

And since Hoshi's survival skills are about as good as mine (and since no one had reported being zapped by a stun laser) I ruled out Option #2 and came to the conclusion I'd already reached. Still, it'd been nice to sort of _hope_ the stupid book hadn't gotten its way. Well, at least I didn't have to worry about Hoshi falling into cahoots with a big blonde shogun and declaring me her enemy for all eternity. My friend was melodramatic. She wasn't _stupid_.

So Nuriko and I set off, first to swing by Kuroyoku's Traveling Market, and then off to Kutou to fetch my best friend. But I wasn't about to let the conversation sit in the gutter on _this_ car trip. I wanted to get to the bottom of the character-changes in my seishi. Riki I'd figured out, more or less, and Joumi had given me the long-and-short on Hotohori, too. They were still prats, of course, but at least I had back-story. Now, I wanted a few more details about the third, ice-cold seishi driving this cute little car.

I opened my mouth, but lo and behold, Nuriko spoke first. "I owe you an apology, I suppose."

"Eh?" I asked, too shocked to hear words coming out of her mouth that hadn't been forced out with a hot-iron poker to think of anything coherent to say.

"When I drove you to Taikyoku-zan, I said that you would not return. I was wrong. I apologize for that."

"Oh." I shrugged, offering her a smile. For someone whose voice never showed a hint of emotion, she _almost _sounded guilty. "You don't really need to apologize for _that_. I hadn't planned on coming back either. Things just… changed in a hurry, I guess." I leaned back in my seat, stretching my arms behind my head. "Actually, the friend we're picking up in Kutou is the main reason for that."

"How do you know that she will be in the capital there?"

"C… Call it a hunch," I said with a nervous giggle. No reason for the seishi to know about my aunt just yet, and even _less_ reason for them to know that I could practically fortune-tell the upcoming events because _The Universe of the Four Gods_ was so uncreative. And speaking of fortune-telling… "By the way, Nuriko, when we're hanging around downtown, keep your eyes open for our fourth seishi, okay? He'll probably be a guy in his 20s with enough magic up his sleeve to sink a small freighter."

I didn't want to offer up anymore predictions, because past that I had no clue what he'd be like. And, judging by my other three seishi, maybe I didn't _want_ to have a clue about that. I shuddered at the idea of 'Onii-chan' being anything less than a huggable nice-guy, and decided to shove that thought out of my head for the moment. I was in no mood for nightmares just yet. I could save those for when I _met_ the guy. "Also, there's a good chance he'll find _us_, so we don't need to go on a scavenger hunt or anything. Just, if he shows up, sorta be ready."

"Another hunch, Mikako?"

"Divine Vision might be a better phrase," I suggested with a chuckle. I settled back in my seat, ready for the short drive ahead of us, but before I could get comfortable I remembered the reason I'd tried opening my mouth in the first place. I took a breath and said, "So, Alice told me about your brother."

"Did she?"

"She's pretty miffed at you for saying he was 'dead.'"

"She would be."

"It is kind of cold, you have to admit. Just because he didn't want to join the military—"

"Arisa-chan was barely six years old when all of that happened," Nuriko interrupted, a barely-concealed level of fire beneath all of her words, like when you touch a heating vent that's just turned on. "She has an incomplete grasp on the situation, and she has no desire to learn the full details, either. Her mind is too clouded with memories of her darling Onii-chan slipping her sweets during supper. But the brutal truth is that he made a promise to Otoo-san knowing full well he would never follow through on that promise. He willingly failed my father, and he embarrassed our entire household. The Sanjou family is highly respected in Saihi City. To do something so idiotic…"

"You can't help who you love, Nuriko," I said, but as soon as it came out I sighed and rubbed at my nose. "Sorry. I sounded like one of those lame after-school dramas. But, you know what I mean, right? Your brother probably just felt trapped, and so he went along with your father because he didn't want to cause problems. Except he still did, without meaning to."

"Without meaning to?" she repeated, keeping her eyes on the road but snorting through her nose. "Taking your lover to the most popular night club near the site of your training is not an accident. It is an _invitation_ for discovery. My brother planned the entire thing. And for that, he was disowned." Her hands tightened hard on the steering wheel, and again I felt that fire lurking just beneath the surface. "I cannot forgive someone who so willingly disappoints those around him. Especially not my father, who worked so hard to give us a comfortable upbringing. That is why _I_ must be perfection, in order to pay for my brother's failures, as well as my own."

I sighed, staring at my hands. "It was kind of slimy of him to pull that stunt, after he'd promised, but… I still think you're being too hard on him. _And_ yourself. You didn't _have_ to join the military just to make up for his mistake, you know…"

But I guess I'd tapped into Nuriko's limit on long conversations, because she let me trail off and didn't offer an answer. I decided to let the matter drop. By that time, we were almost to Riki's shop anyway. A few minutes later we pulled into a parking lot about half a block away from his business. As soon as Nuriko parked the car I hopped out, glancing around to make sure everything looked safe before leaning back through the door to talk to Nuriko. The words _"Come on, let's go,"_ were halfway out of my mouth before I remembered my promise to Alice, so I changed gears at the last second and asked, "Do you want to come with me, or stay here?"

Nuriko swung open her own door. "I'll come. This neighborhood is not the safest, even in the afternoon. I cannot allow you to endanger yourself."

I decided to pretend that was her way of saying _"I'm worried about you," _though it was probably something more along the lines of _"If you're hurt, the Emperor will yell at me," _but at that point I was willing to take whatever sort of ally I could get. Because the next part was _definitely_ going to be the most painful, there was no getting around that.

My third seishi and I walked into the shop and were greeted by an overly-cheerful, overly-well-endowed girl behind the cash register, inquiring as to what sort of items we might be interested in that day and if we'd need any help making our purchases. She seemed like the kind of bubbly girl Riki would kill within a day, he'd be so irritated, but I figured that Chiro-san had done all the hiring. The breast size would at least be to Riki's liking, I thought with a growl.

That prig.

We asked about speaking with the owner, but according to the girl both he and 'Seitou-san' (I could only guess that 'Seitou' was Chiro-san's family name) were making some business trades at a shop across town, but they'd be back soon so would we mind terribly just waiting for a teensy weensy bit of time until they returned, _kusukusu_? And yes, she actually said _'kusukusu,'_ and again I wondered how she'd managed to survive for so long without Riki tearing her head off. So, without any better option, Nuriko and I picked up a couple of magazines and took a seat in the back room.

We'd been there for maybe five minutes when we heard a gun go off, glass shatter, and that poor girl at the front start screaming her head off.

I closed my magazine and sighed.

And things had been going so _well_, too…

* * *

**Japanese Terms:****  
**Ecchi – pornographic (usually means a porn film, but you can talk about a person with this term, too)  
Hime-sama – Princess  
'Onee-chan no baka!' – 'Big sis, you idiot!'  
Eiyou – the capital of Konan (just a reminder)  
Koutei-baka – Your Imperial Idiot (roughly); it's a play on 'Koutei-Heika,' which roughly means 'Your Imperial Majesty'  
ni-hao – Chinese for 'hello'  
kusukusu – sound effect for giggling; sort of means 'teehee'

**Names Explained!**  
Sanjou (Nuriko's family name) – "Cold (San) Passion (Jou)"  
Seitou (Chiro-san's family name) – It doesn't really mean anything, but the kanji is: "Green (Sei) Winter (Tou)"

**Author's Note 1/10/07**  
Hi everybody!  
Well, the chapter took longer than I thought, because I was having some major writer's block. Writing about Nuriko's family was harder than I'd thought, for some reason. But I hope you all liked hearing a little bit about the Sanjou family, from _both_ of the sisters! And yikes! Another cliffhanger ending! I did that on purpose though, because I was afraid this chapter was going too slowly, so I wanted to end on a high note so it would encourage everyone to keep reading (things speed up a _lot_ from here, I promise). At any rate, even if you're mad at me for ending there, let me know what you think, please! I really like getting feedback, even if its flames. :-)

And speaking of feedback, thanks to mrgxshinju, Wolf-of-Words, Rai Takaya, Lady Seiryu, brunette-lady23, BlackRainWillFall, TigerChickTigress, DianaLW, antyem13, TudeDeluxe, inuphantom13, ThePastIsThePast, and Kristall for reviewing! Wow, I don't know when this story became so popular, but I'm really glad that it did! And congratulations to Kristall for being Reviewer Number 100! I never thought I'd have 100 reviews this soon, so thank you all so very much! Please keep reading, and I'll talk to you after the next chapter, too!

Next Time: Trapped by burglars, Mikako finds help in the form of a stranger. Could he be her next seishi, or will it prove to be a false lead? And… Riki returns! But somehow you know this won't be a tear-filled reunion, ne? See you in the next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	13. Persuading the Demon

**Chapter Thirteen: Persuading the Demon (It May Be My Greatest Challenge Yet)**  
Nuriko jumped up and quietly closed the door that separated us from the rest of the store. She turned back to me, one hand on her sword, and looked a little surprised to see that I was still sitting, watching her with a look of more-or-less calm on my face. Truth is, I'd gotten so _used_ to rotten things happening to me by now that I couldn't really be surprised by the gunshots. So instead of saying something like _"Let's get outta here!" _or_ "Protect me, Nuriko!"_ my brain was whirring at about a thousand miles an hour, and I had an idea. So instead I said, "Aren't we going to help that cashier girl?"

Nuriko shook her head. "Let's escape out the back."

"But those gunshots, it must be a robbery, and I bet she doesn't have a weapon—"

Another headshake, and this time she snatched up my arm, practically yanking it out of its socket as she jerked me to my feet. "I can't worry about that. Protecting you is my top priority."

"But they might—"

"I'm sorry, Mikako. I have my orders."

"But…" I looked up into her eyes pleadingly, but not a speck of pity met my gaze. She started to drag us both towards the back door, one hand clenched around her sword hilt and the other deathgripping my arm, and I knew then and there that sympathy for the annoying cashier was never going to work on this one. I sighed and gave up on the worried-act, going straight for the tactical meat. "Nuriko, matte." She paused for a second, one eyebrow raised in a silent question, and I took that moment to grab her collar and drag her face down a couple inches so we were eye to eye, and practically nose to nose. "Listen. That poor kid's life aside, think about whose shop we're in. And think about how we need to get him back or we can't summon Suzaku, and then you're whole Priority One 'protecting me' thing won't amount to a heck of a lot. And think about how _everything_ with that skinflint prig is about money and collateral and paying back what you owe. And think of the kind of _debt_ he'll owe _us_ if we save his goods from the hands of some sleazy burglars." Recognition spread across her face, and I grinned. "Not that we have to if you don't want to, but…"

She nodded and released my arm. "I'll take care of the thieves." She glanced down to the sword at her side and frowned. "Not with this, though."

I opened my mouth to suggest we search the back room for a gun, since I figured Riki probably hid them all over, but before I could squeak out so much as a _"Hey, why don't we—?" _Nuriko flipped up her jacket and pulled a gun from the holster strapped to her back. My grin widened and I felt a rush of adrenaline flare up in my chest. "Sugoi ne, Nuriko! Do you have another of those on you? I've only ever shot things in video games, but they say the new systems are just like being on the battlefield, so—"

She grabbed my arm again and all but carried me to the back door, swinging it open with a_ clang!_ and shoving me into the alley. "Stay here. I can't have your life jeopardized. I'll come back for you when it's over."

"Huh? What—!" but Nuriko wasn't in the mood to listen to me that day. She slammed the door in my face before I could give even a halfway decent argument. I heard the knob click, and I knew she'd locked the door behind her.

_Dammit!_ Why did people always feel like they had to put themselves in danger and make sure _I_ was safe? First Chiro-san, then Riki, in his own roundabout, gitty sort of way, and now Nuriko, too! I could've _screamed_, and almost did, but the noise died on my lips at the sound of footsteps pounding down the alley. I looked to the left just in time to see a couple of guys in worn-out clothes sporting something that shone like metal turning the corner into the alley about a block away. I didn't stick around to find out what that thing that 'shone like metal' _was_, though. I turned on my heel and bolted the opposite direction as soon as I heard the cry of "Oi, there's some girl at the bastard's door!" and decided that I definitely needed to be somewhere far away, _right now_.

And again, here I was, sprinting down an alley with a bunch of dangerous men on my tail. _'Suzaku, you jerk,'_ I thought with a sigh, or what would've been a sigh if I hadn't been puffing and cursing my inability to run like a normal human being. Still, I had managed to turn the corner before they could get to me, and if I could reach the next corner and turn back onto the main road, then maybe—

Where that 'maybe' would have gone, I have no idea, because right as I passed a narrow, one-way backstreet someone's hand snatched out and jerked me into the darkness, bringing one arm up around my chest and holding me close. Instinct told me to kick and scream and not stop until I'd hit something tender, and I would have, too, but the hand on my arm snaked up to my mouth, and a second later a quiet, urgent voice hissed in my ear, "Please don't shout."

It was the 'please' that got me, I think – that, and a hopeful memory. Because, now that I had time to think about it, wasn't this the part in the story when…?

I stopped struggling and waited, tense against the thin body behind me, and watched in wide-eyed alarm as my pursuers dashed past our hiding place, never once looking to the side, still shouting curses and death threats as they went. I don't think I breathed once until the sound of those thumping tennis shoes faded away, but once they did I whirled on my heel, ready to give a big _"arigatou"_ to my fourth seishi—

And found myself looking down… and down… and a little further down than even that… to the ducked head of what was either a midget or a scrawny teenage boy.

"Gomen nasai!" he cried, bowing at practically a 90-degree angle. "I didn't mean to scare you! But I heard shouting, and you looked like you were running from something, so I thought… Gomen nasai!"

I tried to find words, but my supreme disappointment had swallowed them up. Now that I had a chance to take a look at the kid in front of me – and get a good listen to his voice – any chances of him being Chichiri had pretty much poofed out of my head. He was definitely a boy, and from the sound of his voice I'd guess he was right on the tail end of puberty – fourteen or fifteen at very best. He _looked_ about ten, though, he was so little. I figured he couldn't be more than five feet tall. He was dressed in an oversized grey hoodie with the hood pulled up and a baseball cap tugged down underneath that, so when he finally stopped groveling I _still_ couldn't get anything more than a splash of blonde-brown hair and some chin for his face.

Well, I really shouldn't have expected any better. Like _anything_ in this world was going to work out that easily.

"Onee-san? Daijoubu desu ka?"

I snapped out of my little reverie and forced a smile. "Eh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. And you don't need to apologize so much. You're the one who saved _my_ butt, after all."

"Ah… I guess you're right. Gomen nasai."

"It's okay, and—"

But today was a day of interruptions, after all, and a familiar, worried voice cried down the alleyway: "Mikakooooooooo! Ooooooi, Mikako? Mikaaaaaaa!"

My head jerked up at that voice, and everything inside of me clumped itself into a ball and jump straight up into my throat. The kid in front of me asked, "Is that your friend?" but all I could manage was a brief nod before darting out of the little backstreet and into the alleyway, eyes scanning the narrow road for the owner of that voice. Finally I found him, hovering right at the corner, that sorta-cute, worried frown etched across his face and his arms crossed over his chest. He scratched at the hint of stubble on his chin and turned, and our eyes met, and smiles exploded across both our faces.

"Mika?"

"Chiro-san!"

Then we were both dashing down the alley towards one another, laughing, overjoyed at seeing someone we both thought we'd never, ever meet again. I held out my arms like I wanted a hug, and Chiro-san was so caught up in the moment that he decided to meet me in the embrace. His arms closed around my waist… and _mine_ closed on his shirt collar.

"CHIRO-SAN NO BAKA!" I roared, shaking him until his teeth rattled. "What the hell did you think you were doing, pulling that whole 'I'll protect you' act and making me think you were gonna get cut to ribbons for my sake! You know damn well you're a businessman and not a fighter but you had to go and act like that anyway even when I _told_ you I wasn't going to leave you alone to face those jerks but no you had to be the hero and make me cry for you and everything _didn't you_! I was worried _sick_, you little idiot!"

I stopped shaking him long enough to allow him to defend himself, but all he offered was a bewildered smile and an awed, "You cried for me?"

"Of _course_ I cried for you! I thought you were _dead_! What else _would_ I do?"

"Wow. I never thought anyone would cry for me. Arigatou, Mika."

I wanted to hit him, but he was giving me that 'aw shucks' grin of his, so I just released his collar and sighed. "I think you're missing the point, Chiro-san."

"I'm sorry I made you worry, but it turned out okay, didn't it? Other than a couple little knife scratches, I didn't get hurt at all. And Boss told me that you're the Suzaku no Miko." He beamed. "That means _I_ saved the Suzaku no Miko. That's the most important part."

"It isn't if it means someone else has to die or get hurt for it to happen!" I argued.

Chiro-san frowned, and I remembered why I'd always had such a hard time staying mad at him. "But the Miko protects the Empire."

"And there wouldn't _be_ an Empire if everyone in it decided to die for their Miko!" I retorted. He blinked at me, not really understanding. I sighed. "Oh, never mind. Just don't do anything stupid like that again. And speaking of stupid, is your boss around somewhere?"

"Mm," he agreed, brightening once again. "Boss and I got back to the shop just a minute ago. We saw the front door open and ran inside, just in time to see a couple burglars take bullets to the head. The one with the gun was this really sexy Nee-san, and she said something about how you were out back, so I went to make sure you were okay while Boss and that woman took care of the bodies. But then you weren't outside, so I got worried and came looking for you. I thought I heard shouts, but…" he grinned, patting me on the head big-brother style. I couldn't decide if I wanted to hit him or hug him when he did that. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Well, I probably wouldn't have been, but this kid helped me out." My eyes grew to about the size of dinner plates and I slammed a fist into my open palm. "Oh, that's right, that kid! I never thanked him properly!" Chiro-san opened his mouth, but this time _I_ did the interrupting, grabbing his hand and dragging him back down the alley. "Come on! He was up here a little ways, right inside this…"

I trailed off, peering down the shadowy backstreet and finding myself staring at nothing but a couple of boarded-up doorways and a brick wall. "Huh," was all I could think to say. "Guess he ran off. Weird that we didn't notice."

Chiro-san chuckled. "It was probably when you were trying to strangle me."

"Yeah," I agreed, though I couldn't get the puzzled frown off my face. "Guess that _would_ scare someone away, wouldn't it? Still, it's a shame… he helped me out, and I didn't get his name, or even a good look at his face…"

"Probably just a neighborhood kid, taking a break from his after-school job or something," Chiro-san suggested with a dismissive wave of his hand. He clapped that same hand on my shoulder, smiling again. "Well, Boss and that Nee-san have probably cleaned up the mess by now. Wanna head back?"

I blinked, remembering the whole reason I'd come down here in the first place, and nodded. "Mm. I need to talk to him anyway. And the woman's name is Nu…" I halted that train of thought and decided to keep my seishi undercover, for the moment at least. You never knew who might be listening in this city. "Yoshimi. She's been acting as my bodyguard, sort of. Was the _kusukusu _girl okay?"

"Eh?"

"The one who worked the cash register."

"Oh. Yeah, she's fine. She'll probably quit, but she's fine." He heaved a long sigh. "It's no fair… she was _really_ cute, and I think she liked me, too…"

I offered him a nervous giggle and a pat on the back, but I couldn't think of anything to say to that. It made me worry about Chiro-san's taste in girls, to be honest. I didn't think I could've handled that bubbly personality for more than a few minutes before wanting to take a salad fork to my eyes.

'_And Mikako thinks of another _charming_ visual,' _I thought with a sigh.

"Anou, Mika?" My head jerked up at Chiro-san's surprisingly serious tone. "I'm… I'm really glad you came back. I thought… I mean, when Riki came home, I thought that'd be the end of it, since you need all seven seishi to summon Suzaku—" _Unless I want to traipse halfway across the world searching for Shinzaho_, I added silently "—so I figured… and then we didn't hear anything for so long, and I thought for sure… So, I'm really glad you're here. Boss has been pretty cranky recently. More than usual, even. Maybe you can fix that."

I sighed. "I'm gonna try, Chiro-san. And for your sake, I hope I _can_ fix it. If _that_ prig's grumpier than usual, the past month and half must've been Hell for you."

Chiro-san laughed, but the sound died on his lips when he looked forward. I followed his gaze and saw Riki and Nuriko standing at the front door of Riki's shop, and felt my own heart sink a little bit, too. Nuriko was wiping some blood off her hands – I didn't think any of it was hers – and looking a little refreshed, but Riki was standing with his back to us, hands folded in their usual defiant position across his chest. You could just about see the frustration oozing off him.

"…id brat knows she's supposed to lock up when we're gone," I heard him grumbling as Chiro-san and I drew closer. "Now I'm short a cashier and there's blood all over my damn floor, not to mention some of the clothes. Think you could've splattered their brains against somethin' that _doesn't_ stain, Violet?"

"I was a little busy ensuring that they did not splatter _my_ brains, thank you," she answered coolly, handing him the half-dirty towel. "I will pay for the damage, if that suits you."

He brought it up to wipe across his own face. "It suits me just fine, actually. Damn, I guess this means I owe you one now, huh? Just great." But even as he said it I could sort of feel a grudging respect in his voice. Considering these two had been about to kill each other the last time they'd met, they were both behaving with surprising civility, I thought. Maybe it was that 'brotherhood earned on the field of battle' thing. "So where's that little brat, anyway? Ko should've dragged her ass up front by now."

Nuriko, who had caught sight of me a couple seconds ago, nodded over her shoulder. Riki followed her gaze and turned, and our eyes met. For a split second, I thought I saw something funny on his face – not happiness, exactly, but maybe a sort of relief – but it disappeared a second later, leaving his usual, ill-tempered scowl. "Still alive, I see."

"Still an ass, I see," I replied, and immediately kicked myself for the automatic response. I was here to get him back, not drive him further away!

"Well, what the hell're you doing here?" he demanded, tossing the bloodied rag into a nearby trashcan. "I'm not paying you for your three days of shitty service, y'know."

I steeled myself and took a step towards him, then another, and another after that, until slowly but surely I was clearing the space between us. "That's not why I'm here."

"Oh?" He smirked. "Get tired of playing 'hide the sausage' with your beloved Emperor, then?" Nuriko's eyes narrowed at that one. "Come crawling back to Riki, have you? Well, you can forget about that, kid. Cooks are a dime a dozen, and I can find one that's a hell of a lot better looking than you, and…" he trailed off, because by then I was standing right across from him, barely five feet apart, staring into his stupid, cocky, triumphant face. He glared right back, ready for a fight. "_What_?"

I wanted to give him the battle he was looking for – I wanted to slam that stupid face straight into a wall, in fact – but I couldn't do that. There was only one thing I _could_ do, and it took every ounce of willpower I had to do it. But it was for Konan. I had to keep telling myself that. I needed to do it for Konan.

I clasped my hands over my head and bowed, mirroring the kid from earlier until my body was at a perfect 90-degree angle. "Gomen nasai!" I cried.

Even though there were cars humming back and forth on the nearby street, it felt like a hush had fallen on the whole world, and it seemed like I could feel Riki's – and Chiro-san's – and Nuriko's too, even – confusion and surprise blasting a hole right through me.

I took a breath and continued. "You were right about the Emperor. He's awful. He tried to…" I gulped that part down and said, "He's a horrible, selfish, spoiled little brat. You were right. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry for that." Another gulping breath, half-expecting Riki to say something, but when silence greeted me I took that as a sign to keep going. Eyes embedded in the sidewalk, I said, "I need you, Riki. I need you in order to summon Suzaku. You're a seishi. You can't deny that. And maybe I don't know anything about this world, like you said, but I promise that _I __mean it_ when I say I'm going to use Suzaku's power to help Konan. And you probably don't believe me. That's okay. I'll just have to _show_ you that I'm telling the truth. But to do that, I need you with me. You don't need to swear your undying loyalty or throw yourself in front of a moving car to save me or anything like that. You don't even have to like me, if you don't want to. But I need you to stand beside me when I summon Suzaku. And I need you to tell me how things _really _are, so I can make the right wishes.

"Please, Suzaku no Tamahome," I finished, using his seishi name in a last-ditch attempt to generate some form of loyalty out of him. "I can't do this without your help."

There. I'd said it. It had about killed me, but I'd done what I needed to do. I'd made Riki the hero. I'd made him feel important and special and better than me. Because, as much as I didn't want to do this, and as much as I wanted to slam his face straight through a wall, he _was_ important and special and better than me. Without him, without all the seishi, I was just some stupid foreign girl running around an Empire.

"Ch!" Riki finally said after the silence had gotten so long and suffocating that I thought I'd scream just to break it. "It's about six, isn't it? No wonder I'm hungry."

My head shot up, and I found myself staring at the side of his face, his eyes on the seishi a little behind him. "I owe you a meal, don't I?" Nuriko shrugged. I guess he took that as a 'yes,' because he turned his back on me entirely, shoving one hand into his pocket and waving the other towards the front of the store. "Well, come on! I'm not usually this generous, y'know. Hell, I'm in a good mood, what with the shop still being in one piece, so I'll even let you stay the night if you keep your smartass comments to a minimum."

He hadn't offered his help. But then again, he hadn't denied it, either. Maybe that was the best I could hope for, for now. My face broke into a grin. "Arigatou, Riki! And we'll talk about the rest of it tomorrow, okay?"

"If I feel like it," he answered with another noncommittal wave of his hand. "Now hurry your ass up, will you? Dinner isn't going to make itself, Cook-chan."

I know, I know, I know. I told myself I'd be civil. I told myself I'd treat him nicely, like the important part of my team that he was. I told myself I wouldn't let my temper get the best of me.

But he's still a bastard. And at least I smushed his face _lightly_ into door.

oOo

Dinner went by well, all things considered – shockingly well, in fact. Chiro-san helped me put together the Meal of Champions, and it must have been good because Riki didn't utter a word of complaint (he didn't utter a word of thanks, either, but what can you expect?). He and Nuriko behaved like civilized human beings to one another, with the exception of a few snide remarks on Riki's part, and with a lot of help from Chiro-san I even managed to keep a conversation going through the better part of the meal. After dinner Riki led us to the upstairs, slammed open the door of a dusty guest room, offered us a muttered "Keep me awake with your damn girl-talk and I'll kill you" and disappeared down the hall again, off to his room, I guess. Nuriko and I took turns in the bath and, after some debate, decided to share the queen-sized bed and soon passed out.

I can't remember _what_ I dreamed about, but it must have been weird because I woke up at about seven in the AM, eyes wide and the quickly-fading image of Hoshi snuggle-glomping Nakago in my brain. I shivered – _that's_ the kind of image _no one_ wants to think about – and decided that I needed to get to Kutou as soon as possible. Just because I knew Hoshi wasn't stupid didn't mean there wasn't some blonde shogun running around, just _waiting_ to get my friend in his clutches.

I tried to go back to sleep, but as soon as my head hit the pillow I heard a _thump_ and some muffled cursing from downstairs. With my curiosity awake, the rest of me followed in a hurry, and I slipped out of the bed, careful not to jostle Nuriko in the process. She didn't even stir. I creaked the door open, and still she didn't twitch. _'For someone who's supposed to have constant vigilance, she sure is a deep sleeper,'_ I thought, then closed the door with a quiet click and slipped my way down the stairs, taking extra care not to step on any squeaky floorboards in the process.

I caught the tail end of a grumbled Riki curse, then Chiro-san's quiet, "You'll be back before they wake up?" His voice came from the kitchen. I hopped a little U-turn and headed to the back of the store.

"Hai, hai," Riki said. "Before your little princess so much as thinks about waking up."

"I'll have breakfast ready by the time you get back."

"Whatever," my first seishi yawned into his sleeve. I peeked my head around the stairwell just in time to see the side door swing shut and Chiro-san slump into a kitchen chair, a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"Where's _he_ off to at such a weird hour?" I asked, and I guess I must've done a better job of sneaking than I'd thought, because Chiro-san whipped around, knocking his chair off-balance and landing with a soft squeak on the floor. I could've_ sworn_ I sweatdropped for real, this time. "You… okay down there, Chiro-san?"

"Mi-Mi-Mika!" he yelped, scrambling back to his feet and picking up his tipped coffee mug and now-very soggy newspaper. "What are you doing awake this early?"

"I had a crazy dream, and then I heard some noises downstairs, and I got curious." I clasped my hands behind my back and leaned in, peering hard at his face with my very best _'tell me please you know I can keep a secret'_ expression. "Soooo… you didn't answer my first question. What's Riki got that's so important at this time of day? I didn't think demons bothered with torturing people until _at least_ noon." A thought flitted into my head, and I scowled. "Hey… He's not trying to run away from me, is he?"

"N-no," Chiro-san stuttered, though I couldn't tell if he stumbled because our faces were so close or because my scowl was just that intimidating. "It's nothing like that. He'll be back soon, I promise. It's just…"

"Mm?"

He shrugged, walking over to the trashcan to dump his ruined paper. "I dunno where he goes either, to be honest. Every third Saturday, on the day after we do all the bank-work for the store, he goes somewhere around seven and comes back between eight and nine. I always figured it was some kind of sketchy business deal, maybe so dangerous that he couldn't risk me tagging along as dead weight. But…" he scratched at that ever-present line of stubble on his chin, and it made me wonder, _Does he forget to shave all the time, or is that just the best beard he's been able to grow?_, but before I could decide whether to ask _him_ about it, he went on with, "it's funny, though. Now that I think about it, for such a sketchy transaction, he only packs the one pistol, like usual. Whenever we do big runs he _always_ takes something stronger."

"Hm…" I paused to consider this new information, but not for very long. I'd pretty much decided what I was going to do the moment I saw him sneak out that door. "Ne, Chiro-san, let's follow him, okay?" He stared at me blankly, which I took as a sign of interest. "I'm suspicious. I wanna see what he's up to, that it's so important he won't even let _you_ know about it." I grinned. "To be honest, I just wanna make sure he's not stealing candy from little kids and bringing it back to the store to sell. That prig'll do anything to make a profit, y'know."

"B-Boss'd never stoop to _that_!" Chiro-san protested. "And besides, he pretty much ordered me not to follow. If I do it anyway…"

"What, he'll fire his most valuable employee? Just say you had to come with me because I was going to go anyway and you wanted to make sure I didn't get attacked by some nasty street thug. But we need to hurry, if we want to catch him before he's too far away. So c'mon."

Chiro-san stared at me for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "He always takes a left out the door, then goes to Yotsume Street. I've only ever trailed him that far before I chickened out. If we run, we'll be able to catch him."

I chuckled and tugged my friend out the door, darting left and making a beeline for the street in question. "Well, this time you'll follow him to the very end. See? When I'm around, you get braver by the minute."

oOo

We caught up with Riki before too long and trailed him through half a million different streets, it seemed, always careful to stay at least a block behind him, if not farther. I didn't know how good his 'seishi sensing' abilities were in this lifetime, but I didn't want to take any chances that he'd catch us before we reached the final destination. At last, after what felt like half the morning, he turned down a narrow street called Hotaru Lane, in what Chiro-san called "old town," and when we came to the same corner and peeked around the edge, we found him standing in front of a worn-down bookstore, talking somewhat heatedly to a boy at the door.

Chiro-san and I exchanged looks as if to say _"Holy Suzaku, he really _is_ stealing candy from kids!"_ before inching our way farther down the alley so we could hear the exchange. We snaked into the little space between the bookstore and the teashop next door, peeking around the corner and straining our ears to catch the conversation.

"Repeat it back to me, so I know you remember all of it," Riki snapped at the kid.

The boy – he was probably in his middle teens – wrinkled his forehead at the small wad of paper in his hand. After squinting hard at them, I realized with a start that he was carrying a packet of checks. "Ano… the one for a thousand is for Onee-chan's tuition, the one for five hundred is for books for all of our classes, the other five hundred is for Nii-san's bills, the one for three-fifty is for the rent, the three hundred is… um…"

"Basic expenses, baka," Riki grumbled, though I couldn't help but notice that his 'grumble' wasn't as vicious as usual. "Ch, why the hell'd Chise send you out here again?"

"Onee-chan's busy with work and Nii-san's too sick to leave the house, and since I'm next-oldest, they figured… well…"

"Hai, hai." He waved his hand in a dismissive fashion, leaning back against the bookstore's wall. "Guess you're doing better than Makoto did his first time. Brat can't remember money-matters to save his life." His voice lowered for a second, and it seemed like he wanted to sound concerned, only he hadn't had much practice with it so it came out more like his usual growl. "How's he doing, anyway?"

"Oh. Better, now. He's been studying real hard, even on the days he can't get out of bed. He's probably going to get a lot of scholarship money for college, and he said for me to tell you not to worry about having to pay for two tuitions, so…" The boy snapped his fingers. "Oh! That reminds me! There's something Onee-chan wanted me to give you!"

"Guess it's too much to hope it comes in bill-form. What is it?"

Chiro-san and I almost fell over as the boy threw his arms around Riki's waist, practically burying his head into his chest. "'Arigatou, Onii-san!' That last part's from all of us, so you know."

ONII-SAN?

My sneaking-partner and I stared at one another, wide-eyed, in total disbelief. I mouthed at him _"You didn't know about this?" _and he wordlessly shook his head in return. Slowly we turned our heads back to the street, too shocked to do anything but keep staring ahead at the tender scene before us. Or rather, what _would_ have been a tender scene, if Riki hadn't been so emotionally-challenged.

"Would you get _off_ me?" he snapped, shoving the younger boy away. "I only let cute girls do that. And what've I told you about calling me 'Onii-san,' huh? It's Riki or Kuroyoku-san, _remember_? What if some thug comes walking up that street right when you say that?" Chiro-san and I had to duck our heads back into our hiding place when he gestured our way for a second. "Now repeat those checks to me again, and get it right this time."

The boy nodded, flustered, but from where I was it looked like he was smiling a little. He repeated the numbers again, getting them all right this time. When he finished, Riki offered him a light pat on the head and a "that's good enough, I guess." The boy smiled and turned to go, but Riki's hand caught him at the last minute. "Remember, Daisuke – give those to Chise or Makoto the minute you get home, and get them cashed or hide 'em somewhere right away. _Not a cent_ goes to that drunken bastard, okay? I'm doing this to keep you guys off the streets, not to feed his goddamn liver disease. Got that?"

He nodded again. "Hai, Onii – Riki. I won't forget. And, um… thanks again. We're all really grateful. I mean it."

Riki scowled and looked away. "Yeah, yeah. Now get going, will ya? I've gotta get back to the shop before I get nagged by a mother-hen and his princess."

The boy offered him one last parting smile, then darted down the street. Once he'd disappeared, Riki dusted off his hands and crossed his arms hard over his chest, shouting down the alley, "You two gonna keep hiding, or am I gonna have to drag your asses out myself?"

We didn't even bother trying to sneak off. It wouldn't have done any good, anyway. Chiro-san's eyes were filled with _way _too many tears for us to have gotten more than a few steps before he tripped on his own feet. Our heads peaked out from around the corner, my eyes wide and gooey, Chiro-san's with twin waterfalls dripping from them.

"B-Boss…"

"Rikiiiiiii…"

"Y-you never told _me_ you had a family…"

"You said you didn't care about them…"

"…And all this time…"

"…Right behind our backs…"

"You've been a nice guy, all along!" we squealed, too afraid to hug him so hugging one another instead.

"The _hell_ I am!" he snarled, face turning about eight different shades of red, though it was hard to tell if he was embarrassed or just pissed off. "It's not like I'm doing it out of _kindness_ to those little brats! But if I leave it up to the old man they'll all be out on the streets in a week, and kids on the street turn into kids in a gang, who turn into _adults_ in a gang, who turn into sonsabitches who _attack my shop_!" He gritted his teeth and turned away, fists clenched so hard I thought for sure he'd break his own knuckles. "It's just good business, is all." He whirled back on us before we could protest, pointing an accusing finger at Chiro-san. "And what the hell're you doing out here, anyway? Last time we talked, I'm pretty sure I told you to stay at the store and have breakfast ready before I got home."

Chiro-san winced and rubbed the back of his head, resorting to the defense I'd thought up for him earlier. "W-well, Mika heard you leave and wanted to follow, and I didn't want her wandering the streets alone, so…"

I nodded vigorously to back him up. Riki stared at the two of us for a minute and snorted. "Shit, Ko. You're taking orders from her now? What are you, her lover or her dog?"

"We're friends," we answered together, though I have to admit that I paused for a moment on the word 'dog.' Sometimes, when Chiro-san looked at me just right, I could _almost_ imagine him wagging his tail at me... but that's not the kind of thing you say out loud, of course.

Riki heaved a sigh. "Oh, forget it. I don't really give a damn if you know about this or not. Just don't go around blabbing it to the world, all right? If some mob boss found out I had a family, first thing he'd do is use 'em to get to me, and I don't have time to run around saving hostages…" he trailed off, eyes noticing something on the asphalt. "What the…?"

I had turned to grin at Chiro-san, who wiped his forehead as if to say _"Phew! Boss isn't going to kill me after all!"_ but both of us jumped about a mile in the air and whipped right back around to face the dreaded Demon when we heard "SON OF A BITCH!" tear its way out his throat and rattle around the street.

"Wh-what is it?" I asked, because Chiro-san was too busy hiding behind me to say it himself.

"That damn…!" Riki jerked down and swiped something off the street, turning and flapping a piece of paper in our faces. "Dumb brat dropped the bill for utilities! What the hell was he gonna do when he got home, huh – call me up and have me write another one? Like_ hell_ that was gonna happen! Does he think Chise can study for finals in the _dark_? Of all the… this is the _last time_ they let him do _anything_ on his own, little airhead, no wonder his grades suck in school, he's too busy drawing manga to think about anything else… Ah, DAMN IT!" Riki roared, and kicked the side of the bookstore for good measure. "Now I've gotta make a run to the apartment and give it to 'em myself! Like I've got _time_ for this shit."

"I'll do it," I suggested sweetly, partly because I really wanted to, and partly because I'd found another way to get Riki to 'owe me' something.

"No, you will _not_," he snarled, stuffing the check into his pocket. "Knowing your little hobby of getting shot at, you'd be dead halfway there. I'm taking it myself."

"Well, then let me come with you," I offered. "Joumi-senpai gave me some money. If we stop by a candy store on the way there, I'll buy them all something cho-oishii."

Riki glared at me. "Why?"

"Because Daisuke-kun seemed like a good kid. Besides, I wanna do something nice for them. With an Oni-chan like you, they could use a little extra kindness." He glared even harder at me, probably because of the nickname, but I just smiled right back. "Say 'yes.' You know I'll come along anyway."

"You're a real pest, y'know that?" I shrugged. Riki scowled. "Fine, just don't get in my way. Ko," he ordered over his shoulder, "go back to the store. We'll be back in an hour, and there better be something hot and covered in syrup on the table when I open that door."

Chiro-san disappeared down the alley so fast I thought for a second maybe _he_ was my sorcerer seishi. I guess he'll always be Riki's dog first, though. Oh well. At least I knew there'd be something hot and covered in syrup on the table when we got back.

"Come on," Riki said, impatient as always. "It's about a mile to the apartment, and there's no way I'm paying for bus passes."

I couldn't help but curse him under my breath. Family or not, he was still the same old ill-tempered, money-grubbing prig I'd grown to tolerate and occasionally kick into walls. But I guess it wouldn't have felt like 'Riki' otherwise.

oOo

Thirty minutes later I sat on the stoop outside a run-down apartment building, kicking my feet and feeling very jilted. Not five minutes earlier Riki and I had arrived at his family's home, a bag filled to bursting with chocolate, cookies, and about twelve other different kinds of candy in my hands, and me, determined to go upstairs with him and say 'hello' to his brothers and sisters and be just as friendly and cheerful as possible – and then Riki snatched the bag away from me and said, "This is a pretty safe neighborhood during the day. Wait out here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

It wasn't that he didn't want me to go inside because his dad was violent or anything. According to the few things I'd managed to get out of Riki on the walk over, his father was one of those harmless, friendly sort of drunks who you'd either find crying into his beer or sitting at the corner of the bar with a halfway-pleased expression on his face, just taking everything in. Apparently he'd started when his wife died and had just kept going 'till he didn't feel anything anymore. Sad, really, but the way Riki told it I didn't think he felt much pity for him. So _that_ wasn't it. No, Riki just didn't want me coming upstairs because he's Riki, and he doesn't want to have to deal with questions and actual conversations. So he said, "The last thing I need is for Chise to start giving me crap about an underage girlfriend" and headed up the stairs, leaving me alone, pouting, and bored.

But, since this _is_ me we're talking about, that boredom didn't last for long.

"Who're you?"

I followed the voice up to a group of guys dressed in mismatched hand-me-downs that they'd attempted to arrange in such a way that it looked cool. They stood with their hands crossed over their chests, half-smirks or half-scowls on their faces, and seemed to be debating whether they wanted to cause trouble or not. Neighborhood bullies, I decided, and really couldn't feel too worried considering the people I'd had to deal with before. "Oh, hi. The name's Mikako. Who're you?"

"Never heard-a _you_. What'cha you doin', huh?"

"Just waiting on a friend."

"Don't look like you're from around here," the one in front, who I guessed was something like the leader, sneered. "Them clothes, and that nice little handbag… looks like you wandered a little far outta your gates, rich-girl."

I cursed myself for choosing clothing from the palace instead of getting something more down-to-earth from Riki's store. Still, I could improvise pretty well when the need arose. I blushed and rubbed the back of my head, flashing an embarrassed smile at the guys. "Oh, you could tell that they're designer-brand? Yeah. My parents splurged for my birthday this year. I don't usually get nice stuff like this."

"Bullshit," one of the others interjected.

"He's right," said the leader. "You _definitely_ ain't from here, girlie." His eyes trailed to my handbag again, and I instinctively moved it closer to my chest. "Bet those parents-a yours tossed some nice wads-a cash in that bag too, huh? Funny thing is, today's _my_ birthday." The whole group sniggered and took a step closer, trying to be intimidating, I guess. "Seems like _you_ oughta be able to splurge a little bit for _me_, don't it?"

I was about to open my bag and hand him a couple of bills – it wasn't worth a fight, and judging from the look of the neighborhood he could probably use it – but something silver zipped past my shoulder and shot towards the boys, nicking the leader's cheek before curving back, past my other shoulder and out of sight.

I whipped around just in time to see a boy behind me catch the silver something – a butterfly knife, I saw once it stopped moving – and my eyes just about flew out of my head at the sight of the newcomer. Oversized hoodie, baseball cap, ratty blue jeans… I mean, seriously. What were the odds?

He tilted his head in such a way that I was able to catch about half of his face, though that messy mass of brown-blonde bangs still managed to cover most features. "Leave her alone, please," he said quietly to the gang, and I realized after a second that he had a butterfly knife in _both_ hands, and looked about ready to do that cool trick again. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

The leader snarled and took another step forward, and again the flash of silver shot out, sliced a half-inch cut, this time on the guy's other cheek, then winged back into the kid's hand. The others stumbled backwards, and even the leader looked pretty freaked out, now. "Ah, f-forget it," he said with a wave of his hand, trying to brush it off and act tough. "If she hangs out with kids like that, she prob'ly don't have nothin' worth takin' anyway. Let's go, guys."

And a minute later they'd run off, leaving the boy and me alone again.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" he asked, but I drowned him out with my startled cry of, "You're the kid from yesterday!"

"Eh? Oh…" he flushed and looked down, tugging hard at his baseball cap. "H-hai. Sorry for running off like that, but since your friend was there, I thought—"

"Hey, you don't need to apologize!" I interrupted, closing the distance between us so I could maybe get a better look at him. "_I_ should be apologizing! I was so surprised to hear Chiro-san's voice that I forgot to thank you properly!" I grabbed his hand and pumped it up and down, ducking my head at the same time. "Arigatou, twice now!" But a second later I looked up again, still peering into that down-turned face. Geez, was this kid shy, or what? "But hey, that trick you did with the knives, that was cho-sugoi! How'd you do it? Do you have them attached to little magnets or something? Are they curved like a boomerang? Or maybe it's electronic?"

"N-no, it's—eep!"

The kid had 'eep'd for good reason. Sometime during our one-sided conversation, Riki must have come out of the apartment building and seen me talking with the stranger. Distracted by my twice-rescuer, and my twice-rescuer distracted by me, we didn't even hear him sneak up behind us until he'd snatched the kid by the back of his shirt, jerking him away from me and staring suspiciously at the top of his head. "Hm? And who's your new friend, Mikako? Some gutter-rat trying to sweet-talk his way into your purse?"

"Ch-chigaimasu!" the kid squeaked, trying to bow even with his hoodie hoisted up like that. "Gomen nasai, Onii-san, I was just—"

"Being awfully careful about hiding your face," Riki growled, flicking back the hood of the sweater and reaching a hand towards the baseball cap. "Nice pair of knives you got stuffed in your pockets, too. Bet those're real helpful for getting dumb girls to fork over their cash."

"Riki, leave the poor kid alone!" I protested, worried that the little guy might up and have a heart attack from his first encounter with my git-of-a-first-seishi. "There was a gang of guys who were thinking about stealing from me, and he helped me out! He saved me from those burglars yesterday, too, so—"

But he wasn't even listening to me now. He was too busy struggling with the kid, who for some reason was fighting to keep that cap on his head as if his life depended on it. "Please, don't…"

"No one gets away without being identified," Riki snapped back, shaking the kid just hard enough that he lost his grip. My first seishi whipped the hat off with lightning speed, using his other arm to jerk the boy up until their eyes met.

My hands flew to my mouth and I gasped. I couldn't help it. The left side of the kid's face, from about forehead-to-mouth, ear-to-nose, was a patchwork of pale, wrinkled skin, as if someone had melted a bunch of wax and then shifted it around until it came out in creases instead of smooth, like it was supposed to be. I'd never seen one in real life before, but I'd watched enough old movies to know what a burn scar looked like – and this one was _awful_. It had to be a third-degree, no question about it. His two eyes stared pleadingly up into Riki's for half a second, the left one a reddish-brown, the other almost white – blinded, I realized with a start – before he jerked his head back down again, red with shame, one hand desperately trying to muss his bangs back over his face.

And in that instant I knew who he was, and my throat closed up with pity and disbelief.

"Shit, kid," Riki breathed, at a loss.

"Could I have my hat back, please?"

For once my first seishi didn't argue, but just handed it back to the kid, who shoved it down hard on his head before flipping his hood to cover that, too. "Gomen nasai," he murmured, still apologizing for nothing. He took a step back. Sometime during all of this Riki must have released his hold on the sweater. "I didn't mean to intrude. I'll be going, now."

He turned, and I was in such a state of shock that he would've gotten away, too, but his stomach chose that precise moment to roar out its hunger – and then mine, as if thinking '_That's right, it _is_ time for breakfast!'_ promptly rumbled back in response.

The kid flushed, cursing under his breath, and it seemed to break the layer of embarrassment and silence that had hung over the three of us. Riki rolled his eyes. "Looks like you two have something in common." He glared at me, and this time I _know_ I caught a shred of kindness in his snappy voice and harsh eyes. "Well, this kid saved your ass a couple of times, right? That means _you've_ got a dept to pay, Mikako."

I stared up at him, then back at the kid, my mouth trying to form a sentence that made sense, but all I could manage was a stumbling, "You… you want to eat with us?"

Riki sighed. "What the dumb brat means is, 'You wanna come back to my shop for some food?' Ko's a shitty cook, but from the sounds of it neither of you is gonna care too much about that right now." He cocked an eyebrow, and it felt like he didn't really believe his next words. "Unless your mom's got something ready for you at home?"

"Eh?" the kid glanced up, using that same cocking-head technique from earlier so you could only get a good look at the right side of his face. "N-no… 'Kaa-chan, um… works mornings on the weekends, so… usually I fend for myself."

"Well, then go leave a note for your 'Kaa-chan' and meet us at Kuroyoku's Traveling Market. You know where that is, right?"

He blinked, either confused about the location or about the suggestion entirely, then ducked his head again. "H-hai, a note. I'll do that, then. I'll be there soon. S…sorry for all of the trouble."

"Just hurry up." Riki jerked a thumb at me. "She may look like Little Miss Sweet & Silent now, but she's a pain in the ass when she remembers she has a brain. You make her wait for food or skip out on this invitation and she'll tear you a new one."

He nodded, bowed even lower this time, muttered something that sounded like "Gomen nasai" _again_, and darted off down the street.

"'Kaa-chan' my ass," I heard Riki mutter, though I wasn't really paying attention to him. "He's obviously homeless. The idiot." My first seishi turned on his heel, setting his hands behind his head and watching me with more than a little impatience. "Well, come _on_, Idiot #2. The longer you stare like that the hungrier I get, and the hungrier I get the more you get to suffer for it. What the hell's your problem, anyway? You never seen burn scars or something?"

"Riki," I began quietly, at last finding my voice. "I need to ask for a favor."

"A favor?" He said the word like it physically hurt him. "Well, I _do_ owe you a few. What is it?"

"When that kid comes to your store today, I need you to help me keep him there. We need to do whatever we can to keep him there, at least until I can figure a few things out for certain."

"Oh? And why do I gotta turn _my_ place into a homeless shelter, huh?"

I took a breath, forcing myself to say the words, even if a part of me still couldn't quite believe it. "Because, as weird as it sounds… I think that, that kid… is my fourth seishi."

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Matte – wait (informal)  
Sugoi – amazing, impressive, awesome, etc.  
Onee-san/Onii-san – lit. "Big sister/brother," but it can be used on a young (but still older than you) stranger, sort of like saying "Miss" or "Mister"  
Nee-san – same as above, but not as formal  
Gomen nasai – I'm very sorry  
"Daijoubu desu ka?" – "Are you okay?" (polite speech)  
"Chiro-san no baka!" – "Chiro-san, you idiot!"  
Oni-chan – a play on the words 'Onii-chan' (big brother) and 'Oni' (demon); it refers both to Riki's symbol, and, as Mikako would say "to his general personality" :-)  
Chigaimasu – that's not true; you're wrong (lit. means: "to be different")  
**Names Explained!  
**Yotsume Street – Fourth Street**  
**Hotaru Lane – Firefly Lane**  
**'Kaa-chan – An informal, affectionate way of saying "mother"

**Author's Note: 2/26/07**  
Hi everyone!  
I am so, so sorry this chapter took so long to get out! What happened was, I was going to split it into two chapters, but then I decided that I _really_ wanted to get the story moving faster, so I decided to just write this all into one! So it's a lot longer than the other chapters, but it took a lot longer to write, too! As the newcomer 'kid' would say: "Gomen nasai!"_ -bows over and over again-_  
Anyway, even though it did take a while and was kind of long, what did you all think? A lot happened in this one, I just realized. Reuniting with Riki and Chiro-san, finding out about Riki's family, and of course, the appearance of the unnamed "kid!" So please, as always, let me know what you thought about all of it, and also tell me if you think these long-ish chapters are okay. I might do some more of them, if the readers don't mind, but I'll keep them short if everyone likes that better, too!

Thanks to Rai Takaya, Elussive, antyem13, Amaya-san, brunette-lady23, Renaissance IX, DianaLW, Kristall, Ayriel, TudeDeluxe, pyskwynn, The Psychotic One, and BlackRainWillFall for reviewing! It's so great to see so many people reading and enjoying _Broken Wings_, both old fans and new ones, so I hope to hear from you all again soon!

Next Time: Is the newcomer _really_ Chichiri? Mikako is determined to find out! See you all again soon!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	14. Fool Proof Plans

**Author's Note: **There's sort of a big deal made in this chapter about one character's super-polite way of talking. I'll explain it a little more at the end of the chapter, but so you know, in Japan there are basically three levels of speech. Casual, which uses plain-form verbs ("iku" for "to go") and a lot of dropped particles; Polite, which uses normal-form verbs ("ikimasu" for "to go") and has all the particles in place; and _Keigo_, or Formal, which has it's own set of special verbs, both honorific forms for use on others and humble forms for use on yourself ("irasshaimasu" and "mairimasu" as the honorific/humble forms of "to go").  
_Keigo_ is _really_ hard to use properly, and a lot of younger people in Japan don't use it very much anymore. In Mikako's world, in fact, it's so obsolete that she only knows it from historical books and movies... which only makes the _keigo­_-user in this chapter (who's actually _over_using it) seem that much sillier to her.

So, there's your Japanese Lesson for the day. Now please enjoy the chapter, and I'm sorry for the long wait!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Fool-Proof Plans (And the Fool Who Invents Them)**  
"Hey, Riki?" I began, looking at my first seishi a little hesitantly. We'd been walking for about twenty minutes in complete silence, and were nearly back at his shop by now. I knew I should've spoken up earlier, but my mind had been too shell-shocked by the sudden appearance of a _very _young, _very_ unexpected potential Chichiri to do much but think about how he'd wound up here, and how I was going to find out if he was the real deal.

"Nn?" he grunted, half-annoyed as usual.

"Back there, with the kid… you said he was homeless," I reminded him. "How did you know? Have you seen him around before?"

"Never seen him in my life," he said with a shrug. "But you live down here long enough, you start to see the signs – the ratty clothes that look like they haven't been washed in about a week, the hungry eyes, plus all that cringing he was throwing around… He's new to it, I think, otherwise he'd-a robbed you blind and not thought twice about it, he'd've been so desperate, but he's definitely on the streets."

"An orphan?" I pried.

"Probably." His eyes slid over to shoot me a warning glare. "Let's keep that between the two of us, all right? Last thing I need is Ko freaking out over it."

"Eh?"

Riki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's just say that the last time a homeless kid tried shoplifting from us, I caught him, and somehow he _still_ wound up walking out with a wad of cash and a new pair of shoes."

I giggled even as Riki scowled. "Chiro-san really is a nice guy, huh?"

"If he wasn't so good at bookkeeping and customers I'd-a tossed his ass out years ago."

A tiny, catlike grin flickered on my face. "Don't lie, Riki. I mean, after all, _you're_ not so bad yourself."

"If you're bringing up my damned family again, I already told you—"

I waved away his rebuke, loving the way his ears were turning that dark strawberry color, no doubt because he was both pissed off _and _embarrassed. "Oh, there _is_ that, sure, but I'm talking about the way you treated that kid."

"What, 'cause I didn't start raggin' on that face of his?" he snorted and looked away. "There's no profit in making mutilated orphans feel shittier than they already do."

"Not that," I corrected again. "You're an ass, but not _that_ big of one. I already knew that. No, I mean the way you invited him to breakfast."

"You owe him a favor."

"Exactly," I told him, jabbing my index finger hard into his shoulder. "_You_ don't. And it's _your_ food and _your _home we're eating at."

He glared down at my prodding finger like he was thinking of biting it off, and all but spit his next words into my face. "What? You think I feel _sorry_ for that little brat?" He snarled and looked away again, trying to brush it off even as his ears turned an even darker shade of crimson. "It's like I told you. Eventually he's gonna turn into a greedy animal. And when that happens, and he's got a choice between robbing me or Chou's Emporium, he'll remember that _I_ gave him a decent meal once and choose Chou's. It's just good business, ya got that Mikako? _Good. Business_."

I shot him a knowing sideways glance and smirked, quoting one of Hoshi's favorite plays. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

"Who you callin' a lady?"

I smothered a laugh at the look of pure indignation on Riki's beet-red face, but before I could tease him any more I caught sight of a grey sweater hovering at the far end of the street. Turning my full attention on it, I realized that we were at the end of the block that led to Riki's shop, and standing there in front of his store was none other than my pint-sized savior from earlier that day, shifting from foot to foot. I raised a hand in greeting and trotted down the street to meet him, feeling Riki keeping pace at my side, grumbling the entire time. "Oiiiii!" I called out, since I didn't know the kid's name yet.

He looked up at my shout, giving me that same cocked-head-to-one-side look so I could only see the unscarred side of his face. His own hand rose timidly and he bobbed his head in greeting. As we got closer, I realized that he was smiling a bit, though to be honest he looked like he wasn't at all sure he was supposed to be there, or even if he wanted to be there at all. Maybe the smile was a nervous impulse. It would certainly fit the seishi… er, assuming he really was a seishi, of course.

I was _not_ going to jump to conclusions, I scolded myself, and returned the smile. "Hey, you beat us here," I said once I was standing in front of Riki's shop as well. "Did you know a shortcut?"

He looked down and fidgeted with his shirtsleeves. "Er, something like that..." and for some reason he shot Riki a nervous glance when he said it, though I didn't have the faintest idea why. Maybe he was afraid Riki was going to accuse him of scoping the place out for a robbery or something and start ripping off his clothes again. Wow, okay, _that _thought came out a lot worse than I'd intended. I decided to change the subject before the mental images started popping up.

"Well, I'm glad you came. I was a little afraid you might not." I took hold of his sleeve and tugged him towards the door, trying to be as friendly as possible, since _he_ still looked fairly terrified. "Let's head inside now, all right? I'm starving, and from the sound of it earlier, you are, too." The doors opened with a tinkle, and I turned around with one hand still on the glass, flashing the kid another smile. "Oh, by the way, what's your name? I should probably know it before I start introducing you to the others."

His head jerked up at that, and I got a quick look at two wide eyes and that burned half of his face again. Apparently I'd surprised him enough that he forgot to be ashamed, though I couldn't tell if he was surprised at the thought of 'others,' or just at the fact that I'd wanted to know his name. At any rate, he recovered in a hurry, using his free hand to muss his hair back over his face and peek at me from around the mop. "Kanmei… Kanmei Byakuren, de gozaimasu." Yeesh, we were at 'de gozaimasu' now, were we? It seemed that he'd upped the formalities even higher than before, maybe because he was a guest in our 'home,' now.

"Byakuren?" Riki repeated from behind me. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

My potential Chichiri flushed and looked down again. "H-hai. But it was 'Kaa-chan's favorite name… and she always said that it didn't matter if she had a boy or a girl, she would name it Byakuren… and, er, I was her first, so…" I had forced myself not to giggle at this _very_ silly idea on his mother's part, but Riki naturally didn't have the same self-control that I did. He snorted out a laugh, and Byakuren flushed even brighter, turning his head down so all I could see was the top of his baseball cap. "Anyway, everyone just calls me Ren," he finished just above a whisper.

As I allowed Ren to walk past me into the store, I shot Riki what I hoped was a withering glare, though it only made him snicker harder. "I'm Kasumiya Mikako, and the _huge ass_ behind you is Riki," I punctuated this with a sharp kick to one of his shins, and only mourned the fact that I didn't have enough time to kick him in the other one before he'd walked past me. "Don't worry, you'll get used to ignoring him."

I followed the two boys (Riki doesn't qualify as a 'man' in my book) into the shop. Riki walked on ahead of us and back towards the kitchen, but I stayed with our newcomer, watching as Ren's eye took in the wide array of products. "This is the store part of the building, where Riki and Chiro-san do their business. The actual home is that way." I pointed towards an open door near the back where the heavenly smell of warmth and syrup was currently emanating. "Oo, and it smells like breakfast is served. Come on, ah… should I call you Ren-san or Ren-kun?"

"Whichever you prefer, Kasumiya-san."

"Then I'll call you Ren-kun, and _you _can start calling me by my first name. Now let's go say 'hello' to the others. I'll introduce you to Chiro-san – you'll like him. Unlike Riki, he's got a soul."

Ren nodded, timid as ever, and started to follow me across the room. I heard him murmur "Ojama itashimasu" under his breath, and – well, I know it seems like a stupid reaction, to get emotional when all someone says is what _everyone_ says when they enter someone else's house (though not usually that politely), but the way he said it, almost automatically, as if every house he'd ever walked into had belonged to someone else – it made me want to grab the kid in a hug and burst into tears, right then and there.

I was still trying to get myself under control when we crossed the threshold into the kitchen, so I didn't notice that Nuriko had her sword at Riki's throat until I heard Chiro-san shout, "You see, Yoshimi-san, I _told_ you she was fine!"

I looked up then, blinking in alarm as Nuriko sheathed her sword again, she and Riki still giving each other 'you were lucky this time, punk' glares. So much for last night's brotherhood, I thought with a sigh. "Nu – Yoshimi, what the hell were you doing?"

"Trying to kill me, what'd it look like?" Riki snapped, but I ignored him, watching as Nuriko crossed the room and stood before me. Her voice remained as calm as ever, but I thought I caught a hint of annoyance at the back of it. I had a knack for making her sound like that, it seemed. "Mikako, you must not wander off like that again. When I woke up and saw that you were not there, I feared for the worst. This city," her eyes snaked over to Riki and Chiro-san, "and its people are not to be trusted. If you leave again, you are to inform me, and allow me to accompany you."

I bristled under her tone, which was _way _too overbearing for my tastes. "I 'must not'?" I repeated, reverting to Prickly Teenager Mode. "For God's sake, Yoshimi, I'm not a five-year old. I think I can decide for myself when I go out and when I don't. And it's not like I went by myself. Chiro-san came with me at first, and then I was with Riki."

"Neither of whom are fit guardians to—"

"I trust them," I retorted, and hadn't realized until I said it that it was the truth, "_Both_ of them. As much as I trust you – no, _more _than I trust you. At least I know _they'll _help me out because they actually give a rat's ass whether I live or die, and not just because I'm the miko." I saw her eyes flicker a bit at that, and wondered if I'd hit a nerve. Then I realized that I didn't care one bit if I had. I wasn't about to get treated by a child, not by someone who was just there because her precious Koutei-baka had told her to protect me.

We stared one another down for a moment, her ice-violet eyes meeting my pissed off brown ones, until finally she bowed her head, and this time I thought for sure there was a touch of – gasp! – _amusement_ in her tone. "It is little wonder that you and my sister have become friends as of late," she murmured, and when she looked up again, there was no mistaking it – I _definitely_ caught humor in her face. "Very well, Mikako. I shall trust your life in your own hands, and in the hands of these…" she glanced at my git of a seishi and his business partner and struggled on her next word, but eventually managed it, "gentlemen. Is that fair?"

I considered pouting for a bit longer, but then logic kicked in and reminded me that, when you tell someone not to treat you like a child, it helps not to _act_ like one. So instead of stewing in my anger I threw it to the side and nodded, smiling again. "Sounds like a plan to me. And now that we've finished our tearful reunion, let's turn to the main event, shall…" I trailed off, because at that moment I'd glanced over my shoulder to introduce Ren and found that he'd disappeared. "Er… ah-heh, one second."

"_I_ don't give a rat's ass whether you live or die…" I heard Riki mutter as I turned away, but again, I ignored him. Like I'd told Ren, I'd gotten really good at that. Besides, I knew he was just saying it to save his bizarre pride. With Riki, you had to watch his actions more than his words. I was getting better at that, too.

"Ren-kun?" I called, poking my head out of the kitchen door and finding him standing to one side, looking very small and unsure of himself. "Are you going to hover outside the door smelling the food all day, or come in and say 'Ohayou'?"

"Ah!" he yelped, bowing low. "Sumimasen deshita!" Yikes, no more 'gomen nasai'? He really _had_ stepped up the politeness a level or two. "I just thought… when I saw the Onee-san with the sword, that maybe I was interrupting something, so… er… Sumimasen deshita!"

I chuckled and took his arm again, leading him gently back into the kitchen. "Yeah, I guess that _would_ scare a normal person, wouldn't it? Though I wonder what that says about me… maybe I've just gotten used to it. Anyway, don't worry about it, okay? The fight's over – for now at least." I pushed him in front of me, keeping a hand on his shoulder as I announced, "Chiro-san, Yoshimi, this is Kanmei Byakuren, or just Ren for short. He's the one who helped me out in that alley yesterday, and he gave me a hand today, too, so Riki and I thought we could invite him back for breakfast as a sort of 'thank you.' Ren-kun, the scruffy guy in the apron is Chiro-san, and the woman who was trying to kill Riki earlier is Yoshimi. Say 'Ohayou,' everyone."

"O… Ohayou gozaimasu," Ren squeaked, jerking down in a low bow again.

Nuriko just nodded a silent 'hello,' but Chiro-san greeted him with his usual tail-wagging friendless. "Ohayou, Ren-kun!" he reached for the strings at the back of his apron with one hand, gesturing with the other towards the table. "Breakfast is ready, so why don't you and Mika have a seat and build up your plates? Yoshimi-san was just about to do that herself, right before she started interrogating the boss at sword point." He laughed, but judging by Riki's glare and Nuriko's flush neither of them found the situation very humorous.

'_Oh, will my seishi _ever_ make nice with each other?' _I mourned to myself, taking a seat at the table and offering Ren the chair on my right. Chiro-san took the seat on my left, with Riki and Nuriko across from us, and with a single cry of "Itadakimasu!" we tore into the meal. I was hoping to eat mostly in silence, since I still needed to work out the finer details of my Discover if Ren-kun is a Seishi Plan, but alas, luck was not with me. First Nuriko wanted to know exactly what sort of 'trouble' Ren had helped me out of that day, so I had to tell _that_ lovely little story, and _then_ she turned her attention on the poor kid himself.

"Ren-kun," Nuriko began, and I saw Ren shrink a little under her icy stare, "do you live near here?"

"S-somewhat," he agreed, cutting into his pile of waffles with muted gusto. I could tell that he wanted to devour the stack in one bite, then lick the plate clean and ask for more, but I guess he had too many manners for that. "Over, ano, over by the Suzaku shrine, on Mutsume Street."

"With your parents?"

"H-hai. With my 'Kaa-chan."

"What happened to your father?"

"_Geez, when did _you_ get so chatty?"_ I wanted to ask Nuriko, but unfortunately I didn't possess the manners that Ren did, so my mouth was too stuffed full of waffles for me to say much of anything. So I had to sit there and let Ren get grilled, at least for the moment. "Um, he passed away right after I was born."

"The mob get him?" Riki interjected.

Ren shrank back even further. "N-no… it was an accident at work, I think. I don't remember."

"Obviously," Riki said with an eye-roll. "So you and your 'Kaa-chan' live by yourselves?"

I wanted to smack him, because it was so obvious that he didn't believe a thing that Ren was telling him, but my potential Chichiri just nodded and took another bite of his breakfast. I hoped that that would be the end of it, but in came Nuriko, sailing behind Riki, and now _her_ voice sounded as disbelieving as his. "And she doesn't mind that you are eating with strangers?"

"She works during the day," I put in, finally able to free my mouth enough to come to Ren's rescue. "He left a note for her before he came to meet us." I glanced over at Chiro-san, who seemed to be half-pouting into his own food, and decided to change the subject. "By the way, Chiro-san, where did you learn how to make waffles?"

"Finally noticed me, huh?" he grumbled under his breath, and stuffed another large bite into his mouth, speaking around it. "It'sh a reshipe I learned when Riki an' I were in Hokkan two yearsh ago." He swallowed loudly and snatched up his coffee mug again, nose in the air. "Sorry it's such a _boring_ story."

I stared at him for what felt like a full minute, then sighed and went back to my meal. Clearly, all of the people around me had lost their minds. No wonder Ren looked so terrified – if this had been _my_ first impression, I'd have been scared out of my wits, too. Not to mention that, at this rate, I'd never find out if he were my fourth seishi or not…

"Gochisousama de gozaimashita," Ren murmured suddenly, after a few minutes of blessed silence had passed. I looked around and realized that everyone else had finished their meals as well. Our newcomer stood, bowing low, and looked about ready to help clean up the table, but I jumped to my feet and snatched up the syrup that he'd been reaching for, waving a reprimanding finger at him.

"Hey now, you're the guest, and guests absolutely don't clean up after the meal." I turned to Chiro-san, still sulking, and said sweetly, "Koichiro-_kun_, be a dear and help me clean up, would you?"

Either the use of his full name or the (slightly insulting, I admit it) suffix jerked him out of his little reverie, because he nodded and stood as well, grabbing a few plates and helping me clear everything away. I stepped away from the table and moved towards the sink—

—And set my plan into action.

'_Go time, Mikako!'_ I cried to myself, and, careful to make every step of it look like a perfect accident, I tripped over the edge of my own chair, went tumbling forward, and spilled a glop of syrup all over Ren's beat-up jeans.

"Oh, Ren-kun!" I cried, pushing myself out of his lap. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"H-hai, I'm fine," he agreed, staring in bland horror at the huge sticky mess slathered across his pants. "They… they were an old pair of jeans anyway. Su-sumimasen deshita, Mikako-san."

"Why are _you_ apologizing?" Riki demanded, coming around the table to view the mess. "For Suzaku's sake, Mika, you're about as clumsy as—" he paused and stared at me for a moment, as if he wasn't sure _who's_ name he had been about to say, then shook his head and said, "At any rate, what're you gonna do about it, huh? He can't exactly leave looking like that."

"No, it's fine, Kuroyoku-san," Ren assured him, holding out his hands as he moved to stand. "I'll just wash them when I g-get home, and p-put on a new p-pair." His voice trembled on the words, and it made me feel especially bad about what I'd just done, because he clearly didn't _have_ another pair, and I knew he had to be thinking, right then, that his luck was completely out, and meeting us had been the worst thing that had ever happened to him.

I opened my mouth to apologize again, but Nuriko cut me off and offered the same solution I had been about to give. "Do you have a washing machine, Kuroyoku?"

"Well, yeah, but what the hell's he gonna wear 'till they're dry?"

I laughed at that. "Riki, we're living at the back of a department store. I'd think you'd have at least one pair of jeans that'd fit the poor kid… and a shirt, while we're at it. I think I got a little on the edge of his sweater, too."

My first seishi, bless his greedy little heart, stared at me like I'd just suggested he take a dip in a vat of hot oil. "You kiddin' me? Those things cost _money_, you dumb brat, and I seriously doubt that your little friend here has enough to pay—"

"Oh, just charge it to my account," I said, which we both knew meant 'charge it to the Emperor.'

Riki grinned at that, but Ren spoke up again, taking another shaky step away from the table. "Oh, no, it's fine, Mikako-san. You really shouldn't… I mean, you can't possibly go through that kind of trouble, not for me."

I waved a dismissive hand at him. "Oh, come on, Ren-kun, it's no trouble at all! Besides, it's my fault you got all messy anyway, so I'm the one who should pick up the tab if the skinflint over here is too busy pinching pennies to donate them out of the kindness of his black, scabby heart." Riki snapped out a curse so nasty that it made Ren's eye widen, but I'd gotten so used to them by now that I just laughed and patted Riki on the back. "Now then, Salesman-san, why don't you show your customer to the laundry room and a fresh pair of clothes? Yoshimi, care to give them a hand?"

She must have sensed the meaning behind my words because she grabbed Riki's arm in one hand, Ren's arm in the other, and dragged them quite unceremoniously out the door, both of them protesting the entire way. I thought I heard her say, "We will have a talk later about you using Toku-dono's funds in these ways," but I pretended that I couldn't hear her over the sounds of Riki's growls of "Let go of me, ya damn man-woman," and Ren's cries of "I'm so sorry for all of this trouble." It made things easier that way, I figured.

I was about to follow them out the door, but when I turned back to the table I saw Chiro-san standing at the kitchen sink, giving me a double-decker look of pity and betrayal, and sighed. "Okay, what? You've been moping ever since we started breakfast."

Chiro-san scowled and turned back to the sink, scrubbing at a dish with particular fervor. "It's nothing," he grumbled. "It'd probably just be _boring_ anyway, nothing compared to the excitement of your new friend. Fresh off the streets, and he saved your life what, twice, three times? That's really something, isn't it? Much more interesting than some dumb shopkeeper…"

I smothered a giggle, grabbing some of the extra plates on the table and moving to help with the chores. My master plan would just have to wait until later, I decided. Right now, I had a wounded puppy to look after. "Chiro-san, are you jealous because Riki and I have been paying more attention to Ren-kun than to you?"

"…No."

"Yes, you are."

"…Am not." He sighed, his lower lip jutting out further than I'd ever thought possible, especially on a grown man. "Just because I came running home to fix you two a perfect breakfast, and then no one said a word about it because something so much better had come into the room… but what do I care, I'm just the hired help, after all, I'm _nothing_ like a boy-hero from the streets of Eiyou—"

I kissed him on the cheek, which stopped him dead in his tracks. "Thank you for breakfast, Chiro-san. Everything was cho-oishii. I'm sure Riki felt the same way."

He blushed and looked down again, scrubbing extra-hard over the plate I'd just handed him. "Yeah, well… I'm glad you liked it."

"And just so you know, it's not that I'm more interested in Ren-kun than I am in you, or that I like him more, or anything like that. It's just that, well… I feel sort of bad for him, and I wanted him to feel more at home… and besides that, er... keep a secret?" He nodded solemnly and I handed him another plate. "I think he might be my fourth seishi."

"H-hontou ni?" Chiro-san cried, and I had to shush him hurriedly. He lowered his voice to a whisper, though the excitement was still there. "That's great, Mika! Congratulations!"

"Don't congratulate me yet," I told him. "I still don't know for sure if it's him, and I don't think I can just come right out and ask. If he's anything like Riki or Nu – my third seishi, then he might not be exactly willing to announce it to the world."

"Do you have a plan?" Chiro-san asked, wide-eyed and alert.

"Oi, kid, you picky about what kind of shirt I get you?" Riki's irritated voice echoed in from the doorway.

"Oh, not really," Ren answered from what sounded like a room just down the hallway. "Um, I like sweaters though, about a size too big, if that's all right. Sorry for all the trouble…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you are, you said that like eighteen times already."

"Sumimasen deshita…"

"What size sweater should I retrieve?" That from Nuriko, on the other end of the store.

Riki laughed from wherever he was standing. "How about a kids' large?"

"Be serious, Kuroyoku. He is small but he must be at least fifteen years old."

"Um… actually… er… he's right."

Poor Ren sounded so embarrassed when he said it that I laughed outright, and I could hear Riki doing the same, though his had a lot more malice in it.

"Mi-ka-ko…" Chiro-san muttered, prodding me in the shoulder. "You didn't answer my question. How're you going to figure out if he's a seishi or not?"

I could sense a touch of that jealousy coming back into his tone, so I leaned down as if we were partners in this and said, "Well, I've got a plan, or sort of one, but we won't be able to do it until later, after his clothes are clean. Until then, I'm going to try to get to know him a little better, and see if I can't wheedle the answer out of him that way. But if that doesn't work…will you help me later? I'll really need you."

He puffed up at those last words and practically came to attention as he nodded, eyes bright and ready for action. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing again. "I won't fail you, Mika!"

"I knew you wouldn't. But more on that later. Right now, we've got a stack of dishes to tackle, and we've gotta do it fast otherwise Riki and Yoshimi will scare that poor kid to death out there."

oOo

I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time to prepare, but luckily Riki only had a washing machine and had to hang everything up to dry on a line from his upper story window, which gave me the better part of the day to talk with Ren and figure a few things out. To help calm down the fire-breathing Riki monster – and give myself some private time with the new arrival – I volunteered Ren and I to clean up the store, since it was still on the messy side from yesterday's gunfight. Ren jumped on the idea like a sumo wrestler on a steak, mostly because he still thought he should pay me back for "doing so much for him, even though I really didn't need to" – which of course just made me feel worse for mussing up his clothes earlier. I had to keep reminding myself that it was all for the greater good.

Unfortunately, Ren and I wound up cleaning on opposite sides of the store, so we didn't get a chance to talk at all during the morning. We paused for a quick break at lunchtime, but that didn't do me much good either, seeing as how Riki and Nuriko decided to play "good cop bad cop" with Ren _again_ – and I still haven't figured out which of them was the good cop. I spent the entire meal trying to veer the subject _away _from Ren's home life, which he remained stunningly vague about, and wound up talking mostly with Chiro-san because of it. Good for Chiro-san's ego, not so good for my plans.

In fact, the only time I _did _get to have a conversation with Ren was right before Riki called him up to get his clothes back. We were working on reorganizing some magazines that had fallen off the rack the day before, and I could tell that Ren was still a little jumpy from the earlier interrogations. So, being the nice person that I (usually) am, I decided to try and even things out a little.

"Sorry that they decided to give you the first-degree," I began, and winced. Considering his burns, that _had _to be a poor choice of wording on my part, but I decided to barrel cheerfully forward anyway. "I never knew Riki and Yoshimi were so curious. Well, now it's payback – do you have any questions you want to ask me, about myself or any of them? I'll be an open book, I promise."

Ren fumbled with a few magazines for a minute before asking in a tiny, _tiny_ voice, so tiny that I had to lean forward just to catch it, "Um… I'm very sorry for being nosy, but, ano… is it true, what you said earlier, Mikako-san… that you're the Suzaku no Miko?"

_Crash!_ I lost my balance and fell straight into the magazine stand.

"Ah! Mikako-san! Sumimasen deshita! Did I say something wrong? I must have. Are you hurt? I'm really so very sorry!"

Pushing my face out of a copy of _Wildlife Digest_, I turned to face Ren, who had dropped practically into a kowtow at this point, and tried to calm his fears while at the same time stifle my own total surprise. "No, no, Ren-kun, I'm fine, you didn't… uh, but seriously, where did you get an idea like that? About me being the, ah," and I threw out a little laugh to try to make it sound silly, instead of one-hundred percent true, "the miko?"

He flushed and looked away again, busying himself with a stack of _The Konan Economist_. Clever names, these magazine companies come up with. "Oh… Earlier today, when you were talking with the other Onee-san… ah, I'm really sorry, I knew I shouldn't have listened or anything, but when you were yelling at her, you said… um… you said something about how she only helped you out because you were the miko…" His hands clenched around the magazine as he tensed up and stared hard at the ground. "But I might have misheard you! In fact, I probably did! I'm so sorry for bringing it up!"

I debated briefly, then decided to go ahead and be up front with him. Who knew? Maybe it would work out for the best, this way. "It's all right, Ren-kun. You couldn't have _helped_ hearing that, I was getting pretty loud at that point. Careless, too. It's… sort of a secret, my being the miko, I mean." His head jerked up at that, and the eye I could see was wide and surprised again. I giggled and rubbed at the back of my head, trying to play it off like it wasn't a big deal – which was sort of like pretending that the elephant stampeding through your living room is really just your noisy cousin throwing a fit. "I don't suppose you hate me for it, too, do you?"

He stared at me for another moment, then snapped out of his shock and shook his head hard. "N-no, Miko-sama, I don't hate you for it at all! In fact I'm sort of… sort of happy about it, I guess." And he sounded so unused to the word 'happy' that I had to work hard not to burst into tears again. I waited hopefully, thinking he would ask me more about it, or maybe even admit that he was my Chichiri, but instead he just got real quiet again and went back to sorting the magazines, murmuring as he did, "Anyway, I won't tell anyone, if it's a secret."

"Arigatou," I said with a smile, if not a disappointed one.

We had just finished up the magazines, and as I turned to Ren I sort of got the feeling that he was trying to catch my eye to say something, but just as he opened his mouth Riki's always-pleasant voice echoed out from the little house at the back of the shop:

"Hey, kid, your shit's clean!"

Ren jumped up and hurried towards the back, shouting out, "D-domo arigatou gozaimashita!" as he went. I stood to follow, though I took off ahead of him once we reached the kitchen, heading towards the staircase and Chiro-san. "Where is it, Kuroyoku-san?"

"Upstairs on the line, where else would it be?"

"Right. Sorry…"

I missed out on the rest because I cleared the landing, bolting down the hallway in the opposite direction of the laundry line and pounding hard on the door to the study. Chiro-san opened it a moment later, a little black machine in one hand that I had to guess was one of those 'calculator' things Riki had mentioned before. I didn't even wait for him to say "hi," but immediately shout-whispered, "Chiro-san, how well can you throw a baseball?"

oOo

"Uh, Mika… about this plan…"

"Yes, Chiro-san?"

"Don't you think it's a little… well… crazy?"

I sighed, poking my head around the corner of the laundry room again to see what Ren was up to. By the time Chiro-san and I had gotten downstairs he'd retrieved his clothes, but hadn't gotten changed yet, so we still had a little bit of time. Which, of course, meant I had to run everything by my skeptical partner-in-crime _again_. "Yes, Chiro-san, I think it's a little crazy. But that doesn't mean it's not going to work. You said you can chuck a baseball decently, right?" He looked down at the ball in his hand, which we'd fetched from the front of the store, and nodded reluctantly. "So all you have to do is wait for my signal. Don't worry so much, okay?"

"But isn't there an easier way to do this?"

"No, I've told you already, he probably won't come willingly. So the only way to find out if he's a seishi is to get his symbol to light up. And the only way to do _that_ is to raise his life force. So, upon being attacked by said baseball, he should react – either by dodging it or maybe blasting it away with some cool ki trick – and we'll get to see his symbol."

"But do I have to attack him while his _pants_ are down?"

I jabbed a finger hard at my knee, telling him for about the millionth time in the last five minutes, "Fourth seishi. Chichiri. 'Well' on knee. Besides, he'll still have his underwear on, that's gotta count for something."

"And supposing he's _not_ a seishi?" Chiro-san hissed a little accusingly in my ear.

"Well you're not gonna throw it _hard_," I reminded him. "Just toss it out real light and easy. Even if his symbol doesn't show up, he's bound to see it coming out of the corner of his eye. He'll duck it, trust me."

Chiro-san sighed, defeated, but still whining. "This is crazy… this is totally crazy…"

I shushed him, peeking around the corner once again. Good, he'd just finished switching shirts. The jeans were next. I motioned for Chiro-san to get ready, waited until Ren dropped his jeans and reached for the other pair – then ducked my head back and threw my partner the thumbs-up. He leaned out, still looking like maybe he wished he were still pouting in the kitchen, and let the ball fly. I watched as it sailed in a smooth, lazy arc across the laundry room, towards my soon-to-be fourth seishi—

—And felt my mouth drop clear to the floor when the ball bounced off the side of his head with a muted _thump_. Ren let out a startled "Da!," stumbled two steps to the side ('_Daijoubu yo,' _I remember assuring myself, '_It didn't hit him that hard, so he'll be fine'_)… and tripped over the bottom of his jeans, tumbled over, thwacked the _other_ side of his head into the side of the washing machine... and collapsed with a soft sigh to the floor.

What follows remains a bizarre, panicked blur in my memory. I don't know where I went or what I did or exactly how Riki and Nuriko got into the room, yet strangely enough, the words of those next frantic moments stick in my head, and whenever I try to think back to that afternoon, the scene always plays out in crystal-clear dialogue, just like this:

"Oh bloody hell bloody hell bloody hell..!"

"Mika, you said he would _duck_!"

"I thought he _would_! I don't know why he _didn't_!"

"Oh gods, oh Suzaku, I've killed him!"

"No, he's not dead, there's no way, he's just knocked out, I'm sure of it…"

"What the hell's goin' on in there?"

"Rikiiii! Yoshimiiii! Chiro-san killed Ren-kuuuun!"

"H-hey, _you_ told me to do it!"

"He isn't dead." (And I think Nuriko hefted Ren into her arms at this point) "I'll take him to the couch in the living room. Koichiro-san, get me an ice pack. Mikako, tell me what happened."

So I did in a big, panicky run-on and sentence, and hastily ended with, "But we threw it so light, I don't see how he could have possibly…" A dark curtain descended over me even as the light bulb in my head clicked on. "Oh no."

"Oh no?"

"We blind-sided him."

"No shit." That from Riki, of course.

"No, no, I mean, we _blind_-sided him! The side of his face that was towards us, it was the burned part, and I bet he can't see out of that eye! I didn't even think about that beforehand… oh, geez, I'm such an _idiot_…"

"You just _now_ figuring that out? Mika, you chucked a _baseball_ at a _half-blind_ kid!"

"While his pants were down," Nuriko added oh-so-helpfully.

"Shut uuuup…!"

And so on, until Chiro-san came back with the ice, and we all fell into silence, broken only occasionally by Riki's charming sniggers. I didn't even have the energy to snap at him, for once, but could only sit at the base of the couch with my head between my knees, willing the floor to swallow me up. And it had seemed like such a good idea at the time, too…

It wasn't more than a minute later that Ren came to, but I felt like I'd been staring at that fuzzy white carpet for a millennium when he finally moaned and said, "Ite… What's going on? Why is everyone standing around me… and why does my head hurt so much?"

Everyone looked straight at me (even Chiro-san!), but I couldn't very well tell him the truth, so I just giggled and said, "Oh, you must have tripped over your jeans when you were changing and whacked your head into the washing machine." Which, by the way, was true. Man, I was becoming an expert at this lying-without-actually-lying thing. "We heard a loud smack and came in to see what happened… and you were on the floor, so Yoshimi carried you out here. You were only out for maybe a minute. You feel okay?"

"H-hai… sorry to have caused so much trouble." He looked down and blushed, and a second later I figured out why. During all the confusion, none of us had thought to try and re-pants him while he was passed out, so he was lying there in a sweater and some raggedy boxer shorts. "Ano… maybe I should finish changing…?"

Riki wordlessly handed him his pants, shooting me a glare that I guess meant _'You could at least 'fess up when you do stupid things,' _but considering that this was the guy who stole precious treasures from Kutou landlords, I wasn't about to pay attention to _his_ moral advice. I stuck out my tongue at him while Ren wasn't watching, then turned back just as the kid tightened his too-large pants with a frayed belt. It made me wonder just what size he wore, that those tiny jeans still didn't fit him.

He bowed hurriedly to the four of us. "I, ah, suppose I should be going, now."

"I'll walk you to the door," I offered.

"Oh, it's all right, you don't need to do that..." But of course I did anyway, and surprisingly, the other three followed me as well. I kept my pace as slow as I could, and thankfully Ren decided to match it, which gave me a little bit of time to calm down from the earlier fiasco, and realize the gravity of what was about to happen: Kanmei Byakuren, possibly Chichiri, was going to leave, and it was very likely that I would never see him again. Hell, considering the kind of day he'd just had, he'd probably make it a point to avoid this neighborhood like it was the bubonic plague, from now on. Just great…

We'd reached the doorway by now, and Ren stepped ahead of all of us. He turned, bowing again, much lower this time. "Thank you all for your kind hospitality. I truly appreciate it, and I'm very sorry if I caused you any trouble today."

Somebody prodded me in the back and I stepped forward, grinning at Ren and waving away his polite words. "It was no trouble at all! We were glad to have you! And hey, if you ever want to stop by… again… er… oh, screw it!" I shouted suddenly, closing the distance between myself and my newest acquaintance. I had hoped to be subtle and sly. Obviously, those were two qualities I couldn't possibly possess. It was time to go for plain old Mikako bluntness. "Listen, Ren-kun, I'm gonna be straight with you. You _did_ whack your head on the washing machine today, but it was because I had Chiro-san chuck a baseball at your head." His eyes widened a little at that, but he didn't try to interrupt me, so I plowed on, not giving myself a chance to stop and change my mind. "And I had him do that because I was trying to find out something about you, something that I didn't think you'd tell me willingly, but… well, clever plans don't seem to be my forte, so I'm just going to ask you now, and I really hope you won't hold the baseball thing against me, and that you'll tell me the truth." I took a breath, braced myself for disappointment, and asked, "Are you one of my seishi?"

Ren fidgeted with the sleeves of his sweater and his eyes floated back towards his feet. "Sumimasen deshita," he whispered, and I felt all my insides sink right down into the underworld. But then he rubbed the back of his head and finished: "I know I'm... probably not what you wanted, but..."

The insides that had dropped to the underworld sprang back up with a shout, jumping into my chest and doing a little dance around my lungs, which was a particularly good metaphor because I'd practically starting dancing with Ren myself, I was so happy. I grabbed his hands and pumped them up and down hard, bursting with excitement. "Oh, no, you're absolutely perfect, Ren-kun! I'm so happy – thank you so much for telling me the truth! Which one are you, by the way?"

"I-I've got the mark of Chichiri, Miko-sama."

"Oh, suteki! I thought you might be!" I paused in my gleeful up-and-down, half-dancing motions for a minute, watching Ren – oops, gotta call him Chichiri, now – with a curious eye. "But why didn't you tell me earlier? You knew I was the Suzaku no Miko, and you didn't hold it against me, so…"

He flushed and looked down again, shifting from foot to foot. "Sumimasen deshita. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't think I was really good enough… I can't do very much at all, just that trick with the knives that I was doing earlier, and sometimes I can teleport, but only sometimes, it's not very reliable, so… um…" The tiniest flicker of an eye shot up to watch my face, timidly, like he didn't even think he deserved eye contact. "You're not disappointed, are you?"

"Disappointed? Chichiri-kun" – geez, that felt weird, using a 'kun' on 'onii-chan,' – "does _this_ look like the face of a disappointed person?" And I flashed him the brightest smile I could muster, and at that point I could muster a smile bright enough to put the sun to shame. He flushed even darker, either from me using his seishi name or from the smile, and hurriedly looked down again. "Well, that's how _this_ little farce ends, then! C'mon, you've gotta come back inside for dinner! We're heading out to Kutou in the morning, but you can come with us if you want, and afterwards you can go back to the palace and meet Joumi-senpai and Alice-chan. Oh, by the way, Riki is Tamahome, and Yoshimi is Nuriko." Chiro-san's eyes just about popped out of his head at _that _one, but I was too excited to keep secrets now, so I just laughed and grabbed Ren's hands again, tugging him back towards the door. "Do you have a favorite food, Chichiri-kun? I'll make it tonight to celebrate! Anything you like, you just name it!"

"Oh, no, you don't need to go through any trouble just for me…"

"What about your mother?" Nuriko interrupted suddenly, stopping our miniature celebration in its tracks. "You may be gone for some time. Will she not worry about you?"

Oops, I'd forgotten all about that – and judging from Chichiri's face, he had, too. He recovered quickly though, tugging his shirt out of my grasp and facing Nuriko, hands clasped tightly in front of him. "N-no, she won't worry… we've known about it for a while, so she's been prepared for this. I'll just, ah, run home right now, and pick up a few things to take with me, and I'll tell her what's going on. Then I'll be right back."

"Should we introduce ourselves to her, so she knows her son is in able hands?" Nuriko pressed, but Chichiri had already turned and darted off down the street, calling back over his shoulder, "N-no, it'll be fine, please don't trouble yourselves! I'm sorry to have to do this, go ahead and start dinner without me, you don't need to wait! Th-thank you for your kind words, Miko-sama! I'll be right back! Sorry again!" And before anyone else could say a word, he'd turned a corner and vanished.

"An orphan," Nuriko announced, though she'd probably figured it out a lot earlier. Riki nodded his agreement. "Still, he must have a few possessions tucked away somewhere. I imagine he will return with those, at least."

"Eh?" Chiro-san looked back and forth between my two seishi. "Ren-kun is an orphan? No kidding?" The three of us nodded, and his eyes welled up with tears. "But that's… that's so sad… Mika-chan!" he shouted suddenly, making me jump about ten feet in the air. "Let's go inside and make dinner! We'll make the most beautiful, delicious meal we can think of, and afterwards we'll have ten kinds of desserts! And I'll give him my room to sleep in tonight, I can use the couch for a bit… oh, and Boss, we can give some new shoes too, can't we?"

"No, we can_ not_! I don't care if he's a homeless seishi orphan or Suzaku's freakin' grandkid, no one gets freebees outta Kuroyoku's Traveling Market. Shit, Ko, you gonna get all humanitarian on me, and you can march your little bleeding heart ass someplace else!"

I giggled as Chiro-san tugged me into the kitchen. Somehow, my little seishi family not only felt bigger, but a little bit softer around the edges. Timid as he was, and annoying as those 'I'm sorry's of his were going to get, Chichiri was an openly nice guy, which put him about ten notches above my other seishi so far. _'Yeah,' _I decided, throwing on an apron and catching the frying pan that Chiro-san tossed my way, _'Maybe things are finally gonna start looking up after all.'_

Hah, what wishful thinking _that_ was.

oOo

Nuriko dropped the bomb on me later that night. It was right before we were all getting to bed, Chichiri included. He'd returned just as we finished cooking dinner with a backpack slung over his shoulders, bowing and apologizing even as he entered the door. There was dinner, and then some brief room arrangement arguments, mostly because Chiro-san had been serious about giving his room to Chichiri, and of course Chichiri wouldn't have any of _that_ kind of generosity, not "for someone like him," and the cho-ridiculous argument ran on for a mind-numbing five minutes before I finally just cried, "Oh, for Kali's sake, Nuriko, _drag_ the kid up to the room, would you?" and she carted Chichiri off, my fourth seishi protesting every last step of the way.

'_Okay, so maybe he's _too_ nice of a guy,_' I was starting to wonder. _'Either that, or he's got the largest heap of self-esteem issues this side of the Milky Way.'_ But of course he _was _a nice guy, no matter how you diced it, so before long I'd regretted being so forceful with him and went upstairs to see how he was doing, Chiro-san on my heels since he still needed to grab some things out of his room. Just as we left I heard the phone ring, and Riki's irritated voice answer it, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. Oh, it's always the little fish that come back to bite your toes.

I opened the sliding door with a "Listen, Chichiri-kun," on my lips, but it died when I saw the teen perched at the far side of the room, kneeling in front of what looked like a little wooden box from my angle. There was a faint trail of smoke drifting up from the left side of the box, and the smell of something pleasant and sweet flitted into my nose like it was flirting with me before promptly sliding away again. Chichiri didn't even look up at the sound of the door opening – I wondered if he'd even heard me. Probably not, since, once I stopped to listen, I noticed that he was murmuring something real low under his breath. I couldn't catch the words, but it reminded me of those sutras the old monks chanted on New Year's when Mom took me to the shrine; quiet, solemn, and full of hushed devotion.

At any rate, it looked like he didn't want to be disturbed. I moved my hand to close the door, but Chiro-san beat me to it, sliding it shut barely an inch in front of my nose. I heard him mutter behind me, "Huh, I never took him for a floor-whacker." A second later he gasped and said, "Crap, don't tell him I called it that."

I smothered a laugh at the weird term and turned to face my friend. "Floor-whacker? What does that mean?"

"Oh…" Chiro-san winced and rubbed at the back of his head. "Well, it's someone who's serious about worshipping Suzaku. Or, I guess, someone who's serious about worshipping any of the gods. You know, because at the end of the prayer, they always bow low to whatever shrine they're at until their head touches the ground, and people joke that they get so worked up about it they bow so hard they smack their head into the ground. Floor-whacker, see?" He winced again and waved his arms when I giggled. "But it's a kind of a rude term, so don't use it around him, okay? I wouldn't have either except it just slipped out. Boss says it pretty much any time we pass a temple."

"So that was a religious ritual, huh?" I repeated, my eyes sliding back towards the closed door. "Omoshiroi ne. What was that little box thing?"

"Oh, that's a portable altar. People with small houses or traveling businessmen own them, though they're usually a lot nicer than that one. I couldn't see what was in the center of it, so I dunno what sect he's in, but the prayer sounded like the Cry of the Phoenix Sutra, so… Suzaku Shinon, maybe?" He noticed my puzzled look and misread it, offering me a sheepish smile as he added, "Er, I'm not really into it, but you deal in the business world like I do and you gotta be able to talk about anything with your customers. Sometimes your customers are floor-wha – ahaha, religious people. So I know a little bit here and there. Why d'you look so confused? Don't they have religion in your world?"

"Yeah, they do, but it was never really a big thing in my family." I shrugged and flashed him a sheepish smile of my own. "My grandparents had a shrine in their sitting room, but my mum and dad didn't really see the point of getting one, so we never even had that – not a lot of people do anymore actually, at least in my country. I think we're sort of Shinto-Buddhists, but we celebrate Christmas, so…" I shrugged again, laughing this time. "We're more like humanists than anything, I guess. 'Just be nice to your fellow man' and stuff. But still, it's interesting. I wonder if Chichiri-kun would explain to me all the stuff in the Suzaku temple back at the palace… it might be nice to, you know, _understand_ the rituals behind the god I'm supposed to be summon…ing…" I trailed off, watching as Nuriko's head rounded the top of the stairs, the rest of her body coming slowly into view. I started to smile a greeting, but she had a look of Extreme Importance on her face, so my lips died halfway into the grin. "Everything all right?"

"Mikako," she began without even so much as a prologue (though I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from the queen of one-word answers), "I have just received word from the palace. Intelligence informs me that we may have located another seishi. Our trip into Kutou must be postponed."

Eyes about as big around as two twin moons, I could only stare at her for a minute before my vocal cords kicked in. "But my friend, Hoshi—"

"Will have to wait. This takes top priority."

"Bull shit it does!" I roared. Boy, when my vocal cords kick in, they really mean business. "Hoshi-chan came back to help me, and for all I know she's wandering around in Kutou somewhere starving to death, and you wanna tell me _that's_ not top priority? We already wasted one day trying to get Chichiri, there's no way in hell I'm taking another second to look for _anyone_, I don't care if it's Suzaku himself, without knowing that Hoshi-chan is safe!"

"I am afraid I cannot follow that command."

"And why the bloody hell not?" I demanded, feeling all of the blood rush straight into my face. "I'm the miko, and they're _my_ seishi to find, not yours! If I say it can wait another couple of days, then—"

"My orders do not come from you," Nuriko reminded me blandly, though I felt just the faintest edge at the back of her words, like if I pushed her a step farther she'd give up on reasoning and start using force. "They come from His Majesty. And his orders were first to find the other seishi, and _then _to guard you, and _then_, when those two objectives have been achieved, to obey your requests. I apologize, Mikako, but that is the way it is." She strode past Chiro-san and I, with me still fuming so hard I could feel the steam shooting out of my ears, but I didn't dare try to argue anymore. I knew it wasn't going to do any good. Not when she had orders from her precious Koutei-baka. "I will awaken you at dawn. Good night."

And she disappeared into our shared bedroom, closing the door with a quiet click.

For the longest time, no one said anything. Chiro-san probably wanted to, but he was no doubt too scared of my barely-contained rage to dare any words. Which was smart. If he'd picked the wrong ones, at that point, I would've thrown him through a doorway, friendships and physics be damned. So the silence stretched on forever, and my brain fizzled and popped and boiled and I ached to go find Nuriko and pummel her and her stupid, selfish Emperor into tiny balls of goo, and then boil that goo over a stove, and then feed it to the mangiest, nastiest dog I'd ever met…

And then, as easy as someone clicking the stove to 'off,' all the heat whooshed right out of my body and I straightened, relaxed, and headed quietly towards the stairs. Chiro-san followed, keeping what felt like a good meter distance between the two of us, though I couldn't tell for sure since I never turned around to see. We walked down to the kitchen and into the adjoining sitting room, where I'd left my purse from earlier that day. I calmly sat down on the sofa, rummaging through the little satchel until I found what I was looking for: the wallet Joumi had given me, and the multicolored bills inside of it. I counted them up hurriedly, wondering how much it translated to in Konan money. Coming from Joumi, somehow I knew it would be plenty.

"Chiro-san?" I asked suddenly.

"H-hai!" he squeaked.

I turned to face him, a sweet, dangerous little smile lighting my oh-so-calm, oh-so-certain features. You could just about _see_ the blood freeze inside his veins. "Which of the night buses will take me to the Kutou border?"

The seishi took priority? Fine, then bugger the seishi, at least for now. I'd find my best friend the old-fashioned way.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Koutei-baka – 'His Imperial Idiot.' Nickname for the Emperor that Alice originally invented  
Ohayou/Ohayou gozaimasu – Casual/Polite form of 'Good morning'  
Sumimasen deshita – Very polite form of 'I'm sorry'  
Itadakimasu – Let's eat, thanks for the meal, etc.  
"Hontou ni?" – "Really?" "Seriously?"  
Onee-san – polite form of 'big sister,' but can also be used on older females  
Suteki – lovely, fantastic, etc.  
"Omoshiroi ne" – "How interesting" or "Fascinating"

**Japanese Phrases and Ren's Love of **_**Keigo - **_Ren-kun uses a lot of _keigo_, or formal speech, in this chapter. Sorry for using so much Japanese, but I really wanted to emphasize that he was being polite to the point that it's almost ridiculous, and that's a lot harder to do in English. Anyway, here are the three common phrases/words that he made super-polite, and which threw Mikako for such a loop:

de gozaimasu – humble form of 'desu' (the 'to be' verb); used when referring to oneself while speaking with one's superiors. Almost nobody uses this particular piece of formal speech anymore, though, even in _our_ day and age

Ojama itashimasu – intensely humble form of 'ojamashimasu,' which means 'pardon the intrusion/excuse me for disturbing you.' It's said when you enter someone else's home (though, like Mikako said, _never_ as politely as Ren says it)

Gochisousama de gozaimashita – again, an intensely humble way of saying a typical Japanese phrase ('gochisousama deshita'). Literally translates to 'It was a feast,' but it basically means 'Thanks for the meal.' It's said after you finish eating

**Names Explained!  
**Kanmei (侃明) – Ren's family name. He spells it with the kanji for 'righteous light' but the phonetic sounds of 'kan' and 'mei' can also use the kanji for 'tragic fate.'  
Byakuren (白蓮) – literally means 'white lotus,' but the flower itself stands for 'purity,' so the word takes on two meanings.  
Mutsume Street – Sixth Street.  
Suzaku Shinon (真恩) Sect – Suzaku "True (Shin) Mercy (On)" Sect. The 'shin' kanji is used in a lot of Buddhist sects, and usually implies not just a truth, but an absolute one.

**Author's Note: 8/5/07**  
Hiiii everyone!  
Look, I'm back! I'm actually back! Did you all think I had been kidnapped by terrorists? But maybe that would have been better, because then I would have had a good excuse for the long wait. But... I don't have one. I'll go hide my face in shame, now. Honestly, I just caught a really bad case of Writer's Block, and couldn't get myself to write _anything_ (not even original works!). But see, I'm back now, and hopefully that means the Writer's Block is dead! Everyone please hope extra-hard that that's what it means...  
Well, enough cringing on my part. What did you think of this chapter? I really wanted to write a silly chapter for once, since I didn't know when I'd get another chance to do that. So I hope I made you smile a little with this one! Oh, and I know this is random, but I really love Chiro-san in this chapter! He's so cute! He probably won't appear much after this chapter, though... But now Ren-kun's officially been renamed Chichiri (though he'll always be "Ren-kun" to me), and Mika's off to take on Kutou on her own! You can really see some of her ancestor's traits in this chapter, especially that reckless, stubborn streak (but I think that just runs in the family... Keisuke had it, too). But Kutou's not the hostile nation this time, so maybe it'll turn out okay... maybe...?

Thanks to Rai Takaya, margo, Krystall, Ayriel, Scincerity, pyskwynn, Renaissance IX, antyem13, brunette-lady23, Gauri, DianaLW, BlackRainWillFall, Youn, Jyn, and iiceangel3.0 for reviewing! I'm so, so sorry for the wait this time, but I will try to do better, so thank you all for your kind words, and I hope to hear from you again!

Next Time: Mikako's off to Kutou! Will she be able to find Hoshi? And if she does, will she have to fight through the Seiryuu seishi to get her back? See you all next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	15. Miko Alone

**Chapter Fifteen: Miko Alone (Though Not For Long)**  
After everything was over, Hoshi once pointed out to me that, running off on my own in the middle of the night with a wad of cash and a map was probably the stupidest thing I could have done at that point. She also pointed out that, for all my complaints about Miaka Oba-chan doing really dumb things, I was mirroring her actions pretty well right about now.

Well, what can I say? Hoshi was right, or she was mostly right, because there _was_ one big difference between Miaka and myself. My aunt had done something stupid without realizing how stupid it was. I, on the other hand, was perfectly aware that going into Kutou on my own was an idiot's move. I'd just gotten to the point where I didn't care.

The fact was I didn't have much of a choice. I _had _to make sure Hoshi was safe, and not in the clutches of some fiendish blonde shogun, and if I had to do it alone then so be it. And I _had_ to do it alone. Nuriko wouldn't listen to reason, there was no way I'd get Riki to come with me, and while both Chiro-san and Chichiri would have come along it wouldn't have been fair to either of them – and it was unlikely that they would have been much help anyway. So I left Chiro-san at the front door, ringing his hands and saying that he wanted to come with me even though I could tell that he really just wanted to go to bed and be safe for the night. I stayed to the populated streets to avoid getting mugged, found the bus route Chiro-san had pointed out, and began my journey into Kutou.

I slept fitfully until the bus driver announced that we were at the border, then hopped out and headed towards the glowing lights that indicated the little customs office between the two nations. I didn't have a passport, but I wasn't too worried. On the way across the border the _other_ time, when I'd first traveled with Chiro-san and Riki, I'd voiced my concern about getting through border patrol. Riki shot me one of his _'Are you really that sheltered, or just stupid?'_ looks and laughed at me.

"C'mon, kid, what news shows have you been watchin'? Even though there's some tension between Kutou and Konan nowadays they're still considered friendly nations. All you need is an ID. They'll check to make sure we're not carting in any illegal shit, and we can breeze on through like a group of law-abiding salesmen."

I didn't entirely understand the system, being a citizen on an island nation and all, but I knew that other countries in my world had set-ups sort of like that (pretty much all of Europe was free travel, my mum had told me once), so I figured it had to be sort of like that. There was one tiny problem, though. "You know I don't have an ID on me, don't you?"

Riki shrugged. "Yeah, I was betting on that. We'll have to take a few minutes on the side to get you something fixed up, then."

He focused back on the road again, so I turned my questioning eyes to Chiro-san, who I'd only just started calling Chiro-san at that point. He chuckled and filled in the blanks for me. "Sometimes Boss hires guys who aren't exactly 'legal' material, so we know a lot of people along the borders of _all_ the nations who can throw together fake IDs. We'll just stop in at Jun's place before we cross over. No worries, see?"

At the time, I'd sunk further into my depression and groaned at my bad luck, but now I was thanking the lucky stars that Riki and Chiro-san had been no-good dirty thieving merchants. I'd gotten my fake ID later that day (which wasn't so much fake as just 'not made by the government,' since it still carried my real name and age and everything), and now had it secured comfortably in my purse. The moral of the story being: I marched up to those customs guys, showed them that little beauty, had them rummage briefly through my purse, and then strolled right into the lovely land of Kutou. After asking some of the police officers that were hanging around the station for directions, I found another bus that would take me to the capital, and away I went, snoozing the rest of the night away in the back of a tidy grey piece of public transportation.

I woke up around nine or ten and decided to check my map to see just how much farther I'd have to go. Flipping through the book that Chiro-san had loaned me, I found myself thanking a whole squad of gods for another stroke of luck: the Kutou capitol, like its Konan cousin, wasn't all that far from the border. I'd be there by about two if the bus ran on time. Pleased with the way my trip was going so far, I settled back to watch the rolling green-and-yellow fields of the Kutou farmlands zip by out the window, mentally planning out what I'd do once I got to the city.

To tell the truth, I didn't have much of a plan. Instinct told me that I needed to get to the palace, but getting inside was going to be a chore. I decided that I'd just have to talk nicely to the guards at the front gate, and if they wouldn't let me in then maybe they'd at least check to see if Hoshi were somewhere inside. If she wasn't, then it was on to Plan B… and considering that pretty much just entailed me asking everyone I met if they'd seen a blonde girl in frilly clothes pass by, I was _really_ hoping for Plan A to go by without a hitch.

So yes, it was rash, and foolish, and not at all very well thought out. But I'm brave enough to admit that. I was at the time, and I still am. I think that's what counts, in the end.

Even if Hoshi _does_ still call me "A True Yuuki Ancestor" whenever we talk about this part of the story.

oOo

With almost no plan mapped out, I reached the Kutou capital and proceeded to play the 'stick to nice neighborhoods and ask for directions' game. I figured out pretty quickly that this plan was doomed, because when I asked a passerby, "Excuse me, could you please give me directions to the palace?" she sent me to some ancient, abandoned structure with little gates at the front and a "Historical Tours" box on the side. I sighed and went up to the guy behind the tour guide desk and asked where the _new_ palace was, since Passerby Number One had apparently thought I was a tourist. He gave me a funny look, so I asked him again, impatiently this time, and finally he said:

"There_is_ no 'new' palace, 'Jou-san. It's this one or nothing. Were you interested in a tour?"

I blinked at him, then asked with more than a little bit of exasperation, "Then where the heck do you guys have your_government_?"

And again was that look again, that same one Riki used to give me when he thought I was a sheltered idiot who didn't know anything about the world, that look that kinda made me want to strangle something. "Where exactly are you _from_, 'Jou-san?"

"Konan," I said, and then added in a hurry, and probably not very convincingly, "I'm visiting my uncle. He's a, uh," I didn't know what terms they used here, so I finished lamely, "he works there."

"Well… the _Parliament_ building is on Kashiwagi Street, if that's what you're looking for, but they're not in session right now, so…" he trailed off, nodding towards the phone at his side and trying to give me a pleasant smile. "Maybe you should just call your uncle and have him pick you up here?"

I stumbled out some kind of "Oh, that's okay," and hurried off, feeling like someone had just turned my world upside down and shaken it around, snow globe-style – _again_. So Kutou hadn't kept its Imperial system, not even slightly. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised, the governments in _my_ world had changed all the time after all, but… I had to sit down on a park bench to work this out in my brain a little. If that had changed, then who knew how much else was different here? As I people-watched, my head still in a fuzz, I started to notice how the whole city seemed cleaner and the people a lot more at ease than the one's back in Eiyou. In fact, judging by the skyscrapers in the distance, the well-trimmed trees behind me, and the _very _few homeless people dozing on the other nearby benches, I guessed that Kutou was doing pretty darn well for itself. Which made me _want_ to smile – power to Democracy, after all – but I really couldn't, because now I had absolutely _no idea _where to start searching for Hoshi. I checked my wallet: Joumi had given me enough money that I could probably find a decent hotel to stay the night, but two nights would be a stretch, and after that I'd be pretty much broke. Would I be able to find my friend in a city this huge, by myself, without a clue where to begin looking? I'm optimistic, but I'm not _that_ optimistic.

Even so, I couldn't very well just give up and go home, leaving Hoshi alone out here. It was about five at this point, and with it being autumn and all the sun was thinking that it might start setting in a couple of hours, so I decided to find a place to stay for the night. On the way I noticed some of those nice little tourist kiosks that you always see in big cities, so I popped into each of those to ask if a blonde girl in Loli-clothes had come in sometime during the past few days. I didn't have any luck, but I was a little encouraged at the thought that I at least had some places to start looking. After about an hour of wandering around I found a little hotel that looked like it'd be reasonably priced and headed inside to try my luck with a room.

Did I say reasonably priced? I guess I should have said 'reasonably priced for a huge metropolis.' And they said _Tokyo_ was a pricey city? I sadly waved good-bye to _way_ more of my money than I wanted to and trooped back to my room, but before long I found my stomach grumbling and opted to find the cheapest, sleaziest diner possible so I wouldn't starve to death before tomorrow morning.

I took one step outside of the hotel doors and slammed straight into Chichiri.

"Sanjou-dono, I found her," he called over his shoulder as I collapsed to the pavement, pointing up at him like he was a ghost who'd just floated out of the sidewalk. He glanced back at me and flushed, looking away again and muttering (of course), "Sumimasen deshita."

Meanwhile I just kept sitting there pointing my wobbly finger at him and making little "Wha-wha-wha-" noises, my mouth flapping opened and closed like a goldfish who's just jumped out of his bowl, watching with wide eyes as Nuriko and Riki came around the corner, coming to stand to either side of Chichiri, and _both_ looking more than a little peeved.

"Good job," Nuriko said in her usual short way, and Chichiri sorta winced and melted into the background a little, shooting me another look that practically screamed 'I'm so sorry' right before Nuriko reached down a hand and dragged me to my feet. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a touch of anger, which told me that she was pretty damn pissed at this point.

"Sh… shouldn't _I _be the one asking that question?" I finally managed to squeak. "You" – I pointed at Nuriko – "and you" – to Chichiri – "and especially _you_" – my finger at last trailed to Riki, who gave me one of his best withering glares "—you followed me all the way out here? And you _found _me? H-how? And _why_?"

"The Emperor placed you in my care, did he not?" Nuriko said, which I _knew_ she was going to say. Geez, my seishi were getting predictable. "As to your third question, Byakuren-kun has a very useful talent."

She glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and he jumped like a rabbit in car headlights and stammered under his breath, "H-hai… I can sort of… people give off these colors and feelings, and, um…"

Oh. Well duh, Mikako, you should've seen that one coming. It'd also explain how he managed to run into me twice in a single day, back in Eiyou. "You can sense life forces," I translated.

"H-hai," he said with a nervous nod, rubbing at the back of his baseball cap. "B-but not very well, it's just that Mikako-dono has a very bright aura, so… I'm very sorry for intruding on you here, but when Seitou-san said you'd come here by yourself, I was worried, so… anyway, I'm sorry."

I sighed and rubbed at the back of my own head. Geez, when he put it_ that_ way, I couldn't really be mad at him, could I? "So Chiro-san cracked, huh?" I said with a little chuckle. "How long did that take?"

"He banged on my door at about midnight cryin' about it," Riki grumbled, arms crossed over his chest in his typical _'Just you being alive is annoying' _pose. "Violet decided to come running after you with the kid, and Ko was being such an obnoxious, whiny little _bitch_ about it that I came along just to get away from him. You're turnin' my partner into a goddamn housewife, you know that?"

"Oh, I dunno Riki, I think I'm helping him learn some courage," I said with a grin. "Would he have _ever_ dared wake you up in the middle of the night before?"

"Okay, fine, you're turnin' him into an idiot. You like that one better?"

I opened my mouth to snap something back at him, but Nuriko interrupted me, which made me sort of sad, and I realized suddenly that I kind of_ enjoyed_ my little spats with Riki. It wasn't every day that you could trade scathing barbs with someone and know that neither of you really means it. Sorta helps relieve tension, you know? But all this ran through my head in about half a second, because like I said, Nuriko had interrupted us, grabbing my wrist and half-dragging me back towards the street. "You may continue this conversation later. We are returning to Konan now."

"Um, no we aren't," I said, trying to tug myself out of her vice-grip. I might as well have been trying to pull it out of a bear trap, for all the good it did me. "I came here to look for Hoshi, and I'm not about to turn around just 'cause _you_ were stubborn enough to follow me." Hah, _me_, calling someone else stubborn. "If you want to stick around and keep an eye on me, that's fine, but I'm not turning around and giving up, not yet."

"This is foolishness," Nuriko halfway snapped, still trying to cart me off and doing a pretty darn good job of it. "You have no idea where she might be and no logical means of searching for her. When we return to Konan I shall make the proper phone calls to ascertain the situation, but for now it would be best—"

"You're wrong," I said suddenly, because I had only just realized that she_ was_ wrong. "I _do_ have a way of finding Hoshi." She looked at me expectantly, and I twisted around to point my free hand back at Chichiri, who instinctively shrunk away from it. Geez, this kid would flinch at _butterflies_, I thought with what I imagined was a sweatdrop. "Ren-kun," I decided to use his real name while we were out on the streets, "you can find her, can't you? Heck, maybe you already have! She's bound to have an aura like mine, so I'm sure it'd stick out."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nuriko's face curl up into a look of supreme disapproval, and under that icy glare Chichiri practically disappeared into the shadows – and considering his former incarnation's abilities, I half-thought that he might do just that. I offered him an encouraging smile to counteract my seishi's Intimidation Factor, which seemed to give him enough courage to answer. "I… I _did_ feel something strange when we first got here, like maybe there were almost two of you, Mikako-dono, but... like I said, you stand out for me, so when we got closer to the city I knew that only one of them was you. But the other one… I'm sorry, I can't really feel it anymore, it was faint to begin with, but… I could maybe _try_ to help, Mikako-dono. If you want me to."

"Ren-kun, you're officially my favorite," I told him with another grin, then turned back to stare up at Nuriko. "Well, come on, we're already _in_ Kutou. We'll have Hoshi found by tomorrow, and by tomorrow night we'll be driving back to Konan. So loosen up for two seconds, tell your beloved Emperor that it was all my fault, and come enjoy some bonding time in my hotel room, okay?"

Riki snorted at the phrase 'bonding time,' and even Nuriko looked a little disgusted at the idea. But after a long moment she simply ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I will be fired for certain at this rate. Very well, Mikako, it seems you have won yet again."

"Yay!" I cried, raising my arms in a victory dance when Nuriko finally let go of me. "Okay team, I'm starving, so let's go find something to eat! Riki's buying 'cause he complains the most!"

"Maybe this is some kinda carnival game to _you_, Mikako, but _I'm _away from my job and surrounded by a flat-chested brat, a frigid she-male, and a prepubescent kid! Why the hell _wouldn't_ I complain?"

"I hate to bring it up, but you're _still_ complaining! That means we all get dessert!"

"Yeah, an' maybe Suzaku'll pop outta my ass and start dancin' around the street, too!"

oOo

"Ano, Miko-dono?"

I looked up as Chichiri poked his head timidly around the frame that led into my room. Since the four of us had decided to turn the night into a slumber party, Nuriko had sprung for a two-room suite. She was currently out on the lobby phone, explaining the situation to someone at the palace, and Riki had ditched us promptly upon getting his hotel key and had run off to God only knew where, so that left the whole area to just Chichiri and myself. I smiled at him and gestured for him to come in, sitting up on my bed so he could have a seat (though he stayed standing anyway). "You know, you don't have to call me 'Miko-dono.' I told you before that Mikako was fine, and just 'cause we've got this seishi-miko relationship going on now doesn't change anything."

"H…hai. Sorry, Mikako-dono."

I groaned inwardly and decided I'd rip the 'dono' out of him later. Baby steps, after all. "So what's up? You get lonely in the other room?" I gestured towards my blaring television set. "There isn't really anything on, just two schools fighting over a ball. Oh, hey, Tsubaki U just scored. Go Fighting Pandas."

"Tsubaki?" he repeated, glancing towards the television. The eye I could see softened, maybe a little wistfully. "They're from my home province."

"Well then I'll be certain to cheer extra-hard for them," I assured him with a grin. "Oh hey, did you want something to drink? The mini-fridge is packed with goodies."

"N-no, that's all right. Actually, I'm sorry to bother you, but I did have something I wanted to ask you about."

"Shoot." I thumped the edge of my bed. "And sit down, for heaven's sake. Standing up and looking so nervous, you make me feel like you're my retainer or something."

"H-hai! Sumimasen deshita!" He obeyed with such speed that you'd think I'd threatened to jab him with a stun-laser or something. I waited while he adjusted his hat a little, working up the courage to talk to me. "Ano… w-well, I'm sorry, but it's about finding your friend. I… I can't feel anything right now, but I thought… I'm sorry, I don't know if this will work at all, but one time when someone I knew lost their son, I did this for them and it worked, so… I was just wondering if you and I could try it too, so maybe I could try to help you find your friend, I mean."

I fought to stifle both a laugh and another groan, because I couldn't really figure out which was more appropriate for this guy. "I wanna shout 'That's great,' but the way you say it makes me think you're gonna do something ecchi."

He turned about twelve shades of red and threw up his hands in defense, shaking his head so hard that I was actually able to see his whole face for a couple seconds. "S-sonna koto ja nai de gozaimasu!" he cried, and this time I really _did _giggle, even if it did make him flush even darker. He looked down again and went back to scrunching his sweater up between his hands. He looked like a nervous kid about to give a speech in front of his homeroom class. "It's just… it _is_ a little personal, so I'm sorry about that, and you can say no if you want to. I-I don't even know if it'll work, to be honest, so I'm sorry, but… ano…" he sighed, steeled himself, and finally spat out the part I'd been waiting for. "I'm sorry, it's hard to explain. It's sort of like I get inside your ki a little bit and see what your friend feels like, since you know her... I can't explain it any better than that, I'm sorry. Oh, but I won't be reading your thoughts or anything!" he added hurriedly. "I can't do anything that amazing! It's… really nothing, really. I don't even know if it will work this time."

I sighed and held out my hand. "We won't know till we find out. Grab hold and do what you gotta do, Chichiri-kun."

"H-hai…" he accepted my offered hand timidly, and I resisted the urge to make a joke about how he was too old to still think girls had cooties. "Sumimasen deshita. I know I don't really deserve to do this to you, Mikako-dono."

"We're gonna have to work on that self-confidence of yours," I told him with a little touch of annoyance. He opened his mouth to apologize _again_, but I cut him off this time. "So is there anything I need to do?"

"Oh, just think about your friend, please. I think that'll be enough."

I closed my eyes because it seemed like the kind of thing you should do with your eyes closed – like a weird form of meditation or something – and thought hard about my best friend, trying to imagine her 'aura' too, though that was a little beyond even my imagination. It was probably some shade of blue, with frills around the edges. I giggled at the mental image, but stopped short when I felt something seem to pulse out of my palm and into the skinny little hand cupped in mine. I figured it was nothing, but then _th-thump!_ – it pulsed back, only the other way this time, and loaded with something indescribable that made tears want to come to my eyes, and the hazy image of a little girl with her eyes closed, and—

"_Megumi-chan? N-nee, okite yo, Megumi-chan…"_

One of us jerked away, I'm not really sure who, and my eyes snapped open to stare straight into Chichiri's pale face.

"Nani o…?" I whispered, feeling like something inside of me had just ripped a little. I realized that there actually _were_ tears in my eyes and hurriedly wiped them away. "Wh-what just happened, Chichiri-kun?"

"Because you're the miko…?" he breathed quietly, then seemed to realize that we'd made perfect eye contact and quickly looking away, automatically brushing his hair over the scarred side of his face. "S-sumimasen deshita, Mikako-dono. I didn't think that would happen… I-I don't really understand any of this, and it comes and goes a lot anyway, so... at any rate, I'm really very sorry!" He bowed till his head touched the bed. "It must have been some kind of reflection – but I really don't know! I didn't see anything personal about _you_, I promise! And I know what your friend feels like now, so I think it's all right, probably."

"Are _you_ all right, though?" I asked when I'd finally caught my breath.

My question must have caught him by surprise because he looked up again, wide-eyed. But after a few startled seconds he said, "H…hai, I'm all right. It wasn't… it wasn't really anything. Megumi-chan was my sister."

"Was?"

"Hai. But she passed away a long time ago. She's with Suzaku now, though, and 'Kaa-chan and I have been praying all the time for her, so it's all right." He turned his eyes to the bed and I had to fight off the urge to hug him again, he looked so awfully sad. "That one… that one's not so bad, really."

"I'm sorry," I said, at a loss for anything better.

"N-no,_ I _should be the one apologizing! I didn't mean to, but even so, you shouldn't have had to see that! Sumimasen deshita!"

He looked about ready to say something else, but at that moment we heard the door open and close, followed by a string of muttered curses from a _very_ familiar male voice. I looked up and Chichiri hurriedly stood from the bed, bowing just as Nuriko entered the room with Riki slung halfway over her shoulder. "I found him drinking at the hotel's bar. He was being unpleasant, so I returned with him."

"Damned man-woman, I ain't _that_ trashed!" he snapped, attempting to unwind himself from her grasp and doing a pretty poor job of it, partly because he couldn't seem to get his feet to work properly underneath him. "Y'think I'd waste good money on liquor? The old bastard back home does that enough for the whole family…" He must have finally noticed that I was laughing at him, because he glared at me and snarled, "That damned group of businessmen in there kept buying rounds for everyone. Assholes. But with the shitty couple of days I been havin' I wasn't about t'turn 'em down. Dragged out to Kutou, losin' good money with the shop closed, forced by some skinny brat to pay for dinner... son of a bitch, you're gonna drive me t' the grave you keep this up, Mikako…"

I think he kept talking, but none of us could really understand him, and anyway it sounded like the usual complaints. Nuriko looked to me, glancing between the two rooms of our suite. "Perhaps it would be better if you shared this room with Chichiri-kun. I imagine Kuroyoku will not be particularly pleasant this evening."

"Sure, we've got two beds. Chichiri-kun and I'll have a sleepover!" I offered Nuriko a sympathetic little smile. "You sure are brave, Nuriko, volunteering to stand guard over the alcoholic all night."

Riki said something that made me wish Chichiri were a little closer so I could cover his ears. Nuriko didn't say much of anything, of course, just turned to go back to the other room, but at the last second she glanced over her shoulder, looking to my fourth seishi. "Did you learn the position of Mikako's friend?"

"H-hai!" he squeaked, bowing again. "Though I can't really tell it to you since I don't know this city very well…"

Nuriko nodded. "Then we will find her tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work."

He flushed and nodded, bowing lower and lower until I worried he might not be bowing at all, but actually about to keel over from nerves. "No, I didn't really do anything."

Nuriko left the room for real this time, closing the door behind her – probably to drown out Riki's grumbled curses about sharing a room with 'a damned she-male.' I giggled again and flopped back on my bed, thinking that maybe I'd get a good night's sleep in preparation for tomorrow's tearful reunion, but Chichiri caught my attention again, this time by sitting on the other bed and fidgeting until I finally got annoyed with it. "Something wrong, Chichiri-kun?"

"Ah, not really, but…" Chichiri frowned, turning his eyes to the television again, though he wasn't fooling me for a second. I glared at him expectantly, waiting, and finally he bit his lip and said, "I'm sorry, I don't want to worry you, Mikako-dono, because I'm sure it's nothing, and I probably just made a mistake, but when I found your friend, there was… another feeling with her that made me nervous. I can't explain it really, but it was strong, and it definitely made me feel not-safe, and… I'm sorry, I don't know how else to say it, but it reminded me of Tamahome-dono and Nuriko-dono, a little. Except…"

I sighed, propping my head up on my arms and forcing myself to watch as Tsubaki University scored another goal against their terrible opponents. Out loud, because I didn't want to scare him, I said "I'm sure it's nothing, Chichiri-kun, just some kind of weird reading you got because _our_ two seishi are so close," but inside I knew better than that.

For better or for worse, it looked like we had ourselves some Seiryuu seishi in the city.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Kashiwagi Street – Oak Street  
Sumimasen deshita – I'm sorry (medium-level polite)  
Ecchi – literally the term for a pornographic film, it's also come to mean "perverse" or "dirty"  
"S-sonna koto ja nai de gozaimasu!" – "Th-that's not true at all!" (very polite speech)  
"N-nee, okite yo" – "H-hey, wake up"  
"Nani o…?" – "What…?"

**Suffixes (just in case you forgot this one):**  
-dono: very polite and somewhat archaic; used to show extreme respect

**Author's Note: 12/4/07**  
Hi everyone!  
I'm sorry, the wait was long again, wasn't it? I really don't know where the months keep going… I think my college is in a time warp or something. Anyway, this is a really short filler-ish chapter, but that's because it would have been _really_ long if I didn't split it here. The good news is, since Christmas break is coming up, the next chapter will probably be out soon! There will be plenty of nice plot in that one (and some new characters!), so please bear with me through this chapter and I promise the next one will be much more interesting.

Even having said that, what did you all think? I hope you enjoyed the little bit of Chichiri character development. He gets the front stage for the next few chapters since he's the newest seishi, so I hope everyone grows to like him as much as I do! He can be a little annoying, but he's just so darn nice, it's hard _not_ to want to hug him, huh:-)

Thanks to Wolf-of-Words, TigerChickTigress, miraclebutterfly, Kohaku Minamoto, Lady Seiryu, Gauri, brunette-lady23, Ayriel, Amaya-san, inuphantom13, Aryll, pyskwynn, and DianaLW for reviewing! I really appreciate you guys sticking with me through these slow periods, and I hope you'll continue to support Mikako as she meets new seishi and new challenges!

Next Time: Mikako's found Hoshi, but so have the Seiryuu seishi! Will Mikako have to fight to get her friend back? Or will the ShiChiJin have more surprises in store for everyone? See you next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	16. Reunion

**Chapter Sixteen: Reunion (And, Of Course, More Surprises)**  
Chichiri and I woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to go. Nuriko woke up sleepy, and Riki didn't wake up at all, but just cursed at us from the inside of his pillow until we finally gave and headed down to help ourselves to a continental breakfast, courtesy of our overpriced hotel managers. Conversation was light and a little dull, probably because we were all too preoccupied with everything else to really socialize. After I'd wolfed down about a pound of free cinnamon-sprinkled congee, the three of us headed off down the main roads of Kutou, Nuriko navigating us through twisting streets and cloggy traffic while Chichiri worked as the navigator, 'feeling out' for Hoshi with everything his little life force had. I sat next to him, feeling impatient and helpless, and wondering just how much longer this was going to take.

Eventually, after driving through pretty much the entire downtown area and finally coming out in a classy suburb, Chichiri looked up and cried, "There!" and pointed towards a building on the right. I followed his finger and felt my mouth about drop to my knees. Remember when I said the neighborhood was 'classy'? Well, I must've zoned off at some point, because we'd officially gone past classy and into ridiculous. You know those old, sprawling mansions that you see in the old movies about rich people, with about twelve buildings all enclosed by an enormous wall, and over the top you can see a bunch of perfectly-pruned trees and tall, sloping roofs? Well, welcome to Hoshi's new home.

"In there?" I repeated.

"Hai," Chichiri said with a nod, but of course he had to back it up with, "At least, I think so… I'm sorry, do you think I'm wrong?"

"No, it's not that, but…" I trailed off, because I wasn't quite sure where to go with that. For some reason, I hadn't really expected Hoshi to get off so lucky. A beautiful capital city _and_ an enormous mansion to kick around in? I was almost getting jealous.

But then again, if she was surrounded by nefarious Seiryuu seishi, maybe that wasn't such a good thing after all. At any rate, driving slowly past the front gates with my jaw hanging at my knees wasn't going to do anyone any good. I forced it shut with a _clack_ and looked to Nuriko. "Just drop me off here, okay? I'll go see if I can get an audience with the family who owns this place." I knew what she was going to ask, so I beat her to it. "You and Chichiri-kun head back the way we came. I think I saw a café a few blocks down – just wait there, all right? I'll come find you when I'm done."

She frowned but nodded. I guess the place looked safe enough that she could risk me running around on my own for once. She pulled the car to the curb and I hopped out, but just as I was about slam the door Chichiri's nervous voice caught my attention. "Ano, Mikako-dono?"

I sighed at the suffix and glanced over the car seat at him. "Yes, Chiri-kun?" Hey, I liked that nickname. Rolled off the tongue pretty nicely, actually. Maybe I'd let it stick.

"Ano…" he glanced at the mansion, then at Nuriko, then back to me, and without saying anything I got exactly what he was trying to tell me: _Bad life forces inside, you'd kill me if I told Nuriko, but_… "Would you like me to come with you?"

I smiled. "No, it's fine. I want to talk to Hoshi-chan on my own, plus it'd be a mess trying to explain why so many people randomly came to call. Just stay with Nuriko, all right?"

"H-hai," he said, casting one of his many nervous looks at the steely woman in the front seat.

I closed the door before he could think of something else to worry about, straightened my clothes so I might look halfway presentable, and marched up to the front gate. I wasn't used to these kinds of houses, to it took me a minute to realize that they had one of those little red buttons that you push to talk to someone inside. I buzzed it and waited, bouncing on my heels and hoping Chichiri's off-and-on abilities hadn't failed me. A few seconds later – but it felt much too long to me – a responding buzz echoed from the other side of the speaker, and someone called through the device, "May I help you?"

"Oh, yes," I said, trying to sound cultured. "My name is Kasumiya Mikako. I just arrived in the city. I'm looking for a friend, Hoshi McKinsley, and someone told me that she was staying here."

To my _extreme_ surprise, the voice on the other end said, quite pleasantly in fact, "Ah yes, the young lady told us that you might be arriving some day soon. Please wait just a moment; she's in the study, but I'll send one of the boys out to greet you."

"Um, okay…" I stuttered back, though I heard a _click_ and realized that he'd cut me off before I could really finish. I took a step back and stared up at the building again – then realized I wasn't far enough back and took three _more_ steps. I wondered with a smile how long it'd take for one of 'the boys' to weave his way through that place and get to the front doors. Finally, because when I'm impatient I get bored even easier than usual, I looked to the gold-gilded plaque at the front gates that I'd missed before. _Bu Family_, it said, though I had to struggle with the first kanji for about five minutes before I figured it out. Huh. Why did that name sound familiar to me? The kanji didn't really ring any bells, though…

Before I could ponder Chinese family names any longer the front gates swung open, and I found myself staring down at a little kid, his face framed with fluffy brown hair and a big smile taking up most of the center. "Hajimemashite!" he announced with more enthusiasm than I was ready for, bowing low and springing right back up again.

"Wow, when he said 'one of the boys,' he wasn't joking," I muttered, trying to place the kid's age. Eight, nine maybe? At any rate, he was definitely too young for me to be particularly worried about Hoshi's situation. Maybe Chichiri's 'bad vibes' were just in his imagination after all. "Uh, my name's Kasumiya Mikako. Yoroshiku ne. And…"

"Oh, I know all about you!" he assured me, taking my hand and tugging me into the mansion. "You were the first person Hoshi Nee-san started talking about when she woke up, and she made sure that we all knew what you looked like so that if you showed up we wouldn't mistake you for someone else! She's in the study, so you should come with me! We'll surprise her, okay? By the way, my name's—"

"Niiiiiiiii-saaaaaaaan!"

The two of us turned towards the inner lawn (though it might be fair to call it a 'courtyard,' it was so big) just in time to see _another_ little boy come sailing around the corner of one of the buildings. This one was wearing a frown on his face and looked like he might have had little tears in his eyes, but to be honest I wasn't paying too much attention to that. What I _was_ paying attention to was the fact that the kid running up to me looked like a mirror image of the kid tugging me across the yard, and when he finally reached my guide's side and stared at him – well, they might as well have been _looking_ into a mirror, the similarities were so striking.

"Nii-san!" he whined again, crossing his arms over his chest. "I told you to wait! I _told_ you I wanted to meet Mikako Nee-san too…!"

"But you're so slow, Shou-chan, and I didn't want her to have to wait really long!"

"Mouuuuuuu…!"

The smiling mirror image looked up at me and smiled again, though this time it looked a little embarrassed. "Ahahah, gomen yo, Nee-san! This is my little brother, Shoubo. He was real excited about meeting you too, but, um…" he looked back at the frowning mirror and held out a hand like a peace offering. "Shou-chan, say 'hi' to Mikako Nee-san, okay?"

Shoubo looked at me out of the corner of his eye, then promptly grabbed at his brother's hand and stared at the ground. "Do… douzo yoroshiku, Nee-san."

I wanted to say something, but I was still a little too shell-shocked. Seriously? _These_ were the 'dangerous Seiryuu life forces' that I'd thought Chichiri had found? _Seriously?_

It was so ridiculous that I almost keeled over laughing right there, but a deeper male voice snuck up on the three of us, and by the time I looked up at him any thoughts I'd had about being cheerful had popped right out of my head.

"Tokubo, Shoubo. Kasumiya-san is never going to meet up with her friend if you keep fighting out here."

They jerked up and so did I, and when I saw that close-cropped head of blonde hair I felt all the blood turn to solid ice in my veins.

"Gomen!" the smiling one – Tokubo, apparently – said, bowing a little to the new arrival. "And we weren't fighting. Shou-chan just wanted to help me meet the new Nee-san, didn't you?" His brother cast another careful glance at me before looking down again and muttering something I couldn't understand. "So see, it's all right. Did you still want us to take her in?"

"Mm," he agreed. "I'll come with you." He turned to me with the full force of two baby blues, offering his arm as Tokubo dropped my hand and scurried on ahead with his brother, calling for us to hurry up. "I've heard a lot about you, Kasumiya-san. It's a pleasure to meet you. May I have the pleasure of escorting you to the study? I know Hoshi will be ecstatic."

To me, that hand he offered was covered in poison, or acid, or, hell, just Nakago ki. They were all equally terrifying, and equally deadly. I flitted my eyes away from his hand and back to his face, where perfectly-shaped, clean-shaven features met mine without hesitation. Damn, why did the guys in this world always have to be good-looking? It made it a lot harder for me to focus on the _important _things about the way he looked – like how much hostility and ice I was gonna meet in that merciless frown or those calculating eyes. I forced myself to pay attention to all that, giving him a wary once-over…

And, to be honest, was almost disappointed at what I found. Truth be told, aside from being pretty good-looking, there wasn't much to say about him. For one, he wasn't very old, maybe about my age, though I could've raised him up as high as twenty if I had to – the way he carried himself was a little too practiced and smooth for a true teenager, I guess. He had that shine in his eyes that said he wasn't an idiot, but past that I couldn't really get a read on him one way or the other. His smile, while not as warm as Tokubo's, _was_ still a smile, and not a mean one either, just sort of courteous and willing to help. I couldn't even get excited about the malicious way his hair curled or anything – it just fell to about his neck, parted in the middle, with a few short bangs framing his face. Attractive? Sure. Bland? A little. But nefarious? Hardly.

Even so, I wasn't about to let my guard down. I decided to accept his arm just because I didn't want to get kicked out of the house this quickly, and followed as he led me into the mansion, the twins always scurrying just a few steps ahead of us and Tokubo carrying on a pretty constant stream of chatter. I only half paid attention to what he was saying, my defense system was still on high alert, waiting for the seishi at my side to show his true colors, but I _did_ manage to pick up that he and Shoubo were the sons of someone in the Bu Family, and blondie on my arm – who the kid kept calling 'Miccha-nii,' which sounded neither dark _nor_ dangerous – was a family friend or something. I didn't catch much past that, Tokubo was going rapid-fire through a bunch of things that didn't make much sense to me, but the important part is that we made it through the maze-like halls of the mansion without any ki-blasts, so I was feeling a lot better when 'Miccha' pulled up in front of a big set of oak doors.

"Here we are, Kasumiya-san," he announced, and knocked twice on the heavy structure. "Hoshi? It's Dmitri. There's someone here to see you."

'_Dmitri?'_ I thought oh-so-intelligently. _'That doesn't sound very Chinese...'_

But before I could continue _that_ remarkable conversation with myself, a voice from the other side of the door called out in its usual melodramatic fashion, "Permission to enter has been granted."

I felt my heart do a little dance with my stomach, and before blondie_or_ the twins could get their fingers on the handles I threw the doors wide open, bursting through the frame and looking right and left for my best friend. I found her sitting at a nearby table, a pile of books in front of her and a pencil dangling from one hand. Our eyes met and the pencil slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor – not that either of us could hear it over the sound of our own ecstatic voices.

"Hoshi-chan!"

"Mika-chan!"

She jumped out of her chair and I flew across the room, but both of us pulled up right before we could hug-tackle one another. I tugged at my hair and grinned knowingly at her. "Hoshi-chan… you know what we have to do, right?"

"Well, I can't imagine there's a more fitting place for it," she agreed, holding out her arm.

I linked my own in it and, as cheerfully as you please, the two of us proceeded to 'bandit dance' around the little study, earning what I liked to imagine were three baffled sweatdrops from the trio of males in the doorway. After a few rotations we stopped, laughing, and this time really _did_ hug one another.

"I'm glad to see you arrived safely," Hoshi told me, offering me a seat at the table across from her. Her eyes flicked to my little entourage, and I thought I saw a flicker of a knowing smile pass from her to me across the table. "Dmitri, Shou-chan, Toku-chan," I winced at the last nickname – it made me think of that Imperial Idiot back in Konan, "thank you for so loyally performing your duties." My eyebrows shot to the top of my head at that one, but I didn't dare say anything with three potential enemy seishi standing across the room from me. "Now… Shou-chan, Toku-chan? If I'm not mistaken, your instructor is searching for you in the gardens right now, and I somehow doubt that you want to miss him."

"Oops," Tokubo said with the kind of embarrassed, adorable little smile that only true kids can pull off. "Guess we should go, huh, Shou-chan?"

"Aw, Nii-san, I don't wanna have to play that stupid pipa anymore…"

"Well then why don't we switch off and you can take the flute instead?"

"Eh? No way! You're too good at it for us to trade…!"

Tokubo led his brother out of the room, throwing me one last smile and a wave, which I couldn't help but return, before the pair disappeared around the corner. Hoshi did nothing but look at Dmitri, but they must've been able to read each other's minds or something because he bowed low to the two of us, rising again with another of his courteous little smiles. "Shall I have the servants put on a pot of tea for you?"

"That_would_ be lovely, Mitya." Oh, so _that's_ where 'Miccha' came from. "And if it is not _too_ much of a struggle, could you also ask for a few manju? My dearest comrade has never tasted Benibara-san's exquisite delicacies."

"It won't be a struggle at all. I'll leave you two to get reacquainted, then. I'll be back before long." His eyes flicked over to mine and again I felt like I should have wanted to jump up and run out of the room screaming, but he just met my gaze with mild curiosity and nothing more, which really isn't run-out-of-the-room-screaming material. "A pleasure meeting you, Kasumiya-san."

"Y…yeah. S-same to you," I stuttered out, still trying to figure out exactly_where_ I'd found myself.

The door shut behind him and Hoshi collapsed against the table, spluttering with laughter. I don't mean lady-like giggles either – I mean full out, my-lungs-are-going-to-burst cackles, the kind that can only be written like this: "Bahahahahahaha!" I put my chin in my hand and used the other one to tap out an irritated rhythm on the table, glaring at her and waiting for her to finish her personal cackle festival and start explaining a few things to the very confused me. Eventually she caught my annoyed look, which only made her laugh _harder_ for a few seconds, then she pushed herself off the table and, holding her sides, forced herself to calm down and say, "Oh, Miko-chan, I couldn't have planned that any better if I had _tried_. I just wish I had been there when they had first_met_ you, I'm certain my chest would have split straight down the middle in my merriment."

"Well I'm glad _you're_ enjoying yourself," I grumbled, "but I spent half my trip down here trying to figure out if I was going to get turned into a pile of cinders or not! It _is_ them, isn't it? Amiboshi and Suboshi, and," I swallowed back a gag, "Nakago too, right?"

"Yes, or at least, I believe so. Only Dmitri is aware of his seishi identity. The boys are a bit too young, I think." She sighed dramatically, throwing a hand to her forehead. "Such a shame, to be thrown straight into the arms of my seishi love, only to find him a mere child! Fate plays such cruel tricks on us, Miko-chan." I just glared at her, so she giggled and finally started to explain. "Don't worry so much, you don't have anything _to_ worry about. Dmitri might know what he is but he doesn't really know anything_about_ it. His powers are more like parlor tricks in comparison to the Nakago with whom _we_ are so familiar. Perhaps it is because he has been reincarnated into a time of peace – a time that does not need a miko or seishi." Now it was her turn to glare at me, pointing an accusing finger over the tabletop. "Or at least it was until your Emperor started breathing war threats down Kutou's neck. Do you know the kind of stress that's put on everyone? The Parliament's _still_ trying to figure out what in heaven's name they did to anger their neighbors so terribly."

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault!" I told her, holding up my hands to prove that they weren't covered in Kutou blood or anything. "And trust me, when I get back to Konan I'll be doing everything I can to keep Koutei-Baka's plans from happening. The last thing I need is an angry, ki-blasting Nakago on my tail."

Hoshi laughed. "As I said before, Miko-chan, you needn't worry about Dmitri. He's not the Nakago you know. Or rather he is, except that he is not." I cocked an eyebrow, though I didn't really need to. Hoshi had already launched into the details, with that look on her face that said she was in storyteller's heaven right about now. "Mitya was born during a time of extreme violence in the northlands of Hokkan. The people were struggling for independence, and his hometown became the battleground. His father died to a mortar before he was born. His mother, to a riot that broke out when he was nine. He attempted to save her, and in the process, his abilities awakened with… rather violent results."

"Like in the story," I breathed, thinking about that Nakago _Gaiden_ novel.

My friend nodded. "Yes, but that is where the path begins to alter. Some bleeding heart Kutou citizens had come to the area to help with the aftermath. When they heard of the boy, one of them, a wealthy young man fresh out of college and looking, as all wealthy young men out of college do, to change the world, decided to adopt the child as his own. That young man returned to Kutou with his charge, and introduced the boy to his new home – the manor of the Bu family. He has since led a magnificent life with all of the privileges that the wealthy possess, and all of the love that any young man could hope for. His 'father' has since become the caretaker of the records within the Kutou Parliamentary Library, and the boy himself has only just entered college, with the intent of one day joining Parliament itself and slowly changing the world so no young boys will ever see their mothers raped and murdered again."

Her tale finished, Hoshi looked up again, that Storyteller Glaze (as I like to call it) flicking out of her eyes as she returned to being normal Hoshi again. "He's intelligent and proud and so maddeningly stubborn sometimes that it drives the entire family up the wall, and me too, though I've only been here a few days, but he's an all right fellow when you get to the bare bones of it. You'll disown me for saying it, but I believe _our_ Nakago would have been as well, had life not treated him so cruelly."

"Bah," I grumbled, not because I disagreed with her but because I agreed with her and didn't want to. More than that, though, the story had made me think, and not just about her Seiryuu pals. About something more immediate, and more important for me, too. "Say, Hoshi… maybe that's it. Maybe it's like what you were saying the other day, about how circumstances can change people. Maybe _that's_ what's been screwing with all of my seishi, too. 'Cause Konan is in such a huge mess right now, and Riki was raised in the slums and Hotohori's got that illness and Nuriko's dad is an overbearing jerk, so… maybe that's it. Maybe they're the same people, underneath it, and I've just gotta scrape away their bad lives!" I stood up, my hands slapping the table as I did. I was getting excited now, like I was really on to something. "Maybe _that's_ the kinda stuff I'm supposed to do as Miko, while I'm here!"

"I gave that some consideration as well," Hoshi agreed, though she was frowning instead of smiling. It put a lid on my bubbling excitement pretty effectively, and I sat back down again, mirroring her expression. Leave it to my friend the storyteller to have thought up this idea a long time ago, I thought with maybe a little bit of jealousy. "However, I'm not at all certain if that is the case with your young retainers. From what I read before, and from what I have observed here, the situations don't seem to be quite the same." She chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. "I'm not certain how to explain it, though, and I could be very wrong. I'm basing this almost entirely off of Hotohori's behavior, as he is the one about whom I know the most. I need to know more."

"Well, I can fill you in a little bit more if you need me to," I told her, and quickly explained everything I could remember about Riki and Nuriko that I'd learned over the past day or so. When I was finished I shrugged and twisted a strand of hair between my fingers. "I don't really know if that helps or not, though. I'm not really sure what it is you need to _know_."

"The nightmares and the visions," Hoshi muttered, more to herself, though I listened closely anyway. "They began within the same week that he discovered he was a Suzaku seishi. Something about that seems unusual to me. I've read too many stories, and written too many of my own as well. It's too much of a coincidence to _not_ be a plot point. But I don't really know, because I don't know about the others."

"Alice did make it sound like the two were connected with Nuriko, too, but I'm not sure… anyway, I'll look into it," I promised. "If they'll let me get that close without going all prickly again, that is…"

I trailed off, because at that moment someone had decided to knock on the door, then crack it open. Dmitri's attractive face popped through the opening, followed by the rest of him, including a tray that bore a steaming pot of tea and what smelled like the tastiest manju I'd eaten in a long time. "Sorry to interrupt, but I didn't want the tea to get cold."

"Oh, it's all right. Thank you, Mitya," Hoshi assured him. She must have seen me go all rigid in my chair because she fought to stifle another giggle, watching as Dmitri set the tray down between us, even going to the trouble of placing the tea cups and dishes before us. "Oh, Mitya, you needn't bother yourself with all_ that_. I'm sure you have a pile of homework awaiting you this afternoon."

"It's no bother, Hoshi," he said, and for the first time that day I saw him give a full-mouthed, warm smile, and I had to wonder if maybe he didn't have a tiny crush my cute, doll-like friend. "Kasumiya-san traveled all the way from Konan to visit us. The least I can do is show her some of Kutou's famous hospitality."

"It's funny," I said without really thinking about _who_ I was talking to. "Your city seems so bright and peaceful, and the people too, but I thought your god was the god of war."

I regretted speaking so bluntly to a total stranger almost immediately, but neither Hoshi nor our little host seemed to mind much. In fact, Dmitri even chuckled a little, a deep sound in the back of his throat that almost made me want to smile as well, which just seemed _wrong_ to me. "Oh, make no mistake, Kasumiya-san, the people of Kutou still enjoy a good battle," he said. "We just prefer to fight with money instead of bombs nowadays."

"Ah, well. All hail the patron god of capitalism, then," I said with a grudging smile.

"My family praises him every morning," Dmitri said with another little chuckle.

Sweet Isis, was I going crazy, or was I having a pleasant conversation with _Nakago_? Maybe all the fanatics were right and the world really was coming to an end, I thought as I reached across the table for the teapot. Dmitri apparently had the same idea, though, because our hands hit the teapot at the same time from different directions, making it jerk to the side and squirt a line of steaming water out its spout, landing oh-so-hotly right on my hand.

And then four things happened all at once. Three of them were pretty natural, but the fourth… well, I'll explain.

I stood with a loud curse, shaking my poor burnt fingers. Hoshi yelped an "oh!" and asked if I was okay. Dmitri moved for a towel, echoing Hoshi's words. And then something small flew through the open window, took one bouncing step off the floor and threw itself onto Dmitri, knocking him flat on his back and perching on his chest, a butterfly knife pressed to his throat.

And somehow, through the shock and confusion, I _still_ had the presence of mind not to use his seishi name in public.

"R…Ren-kun!"

"Are you injured, Mikako-dono?" he asked softly, though his eyes never left Dmitri's face, and his knife never once wavered from its spot against his jugular. I saw Dmitri swallow hard under the blade, breath coming out in short puffs – whatever this guy might've been in a past life, he was an average student now, and he was scared as hell of that little death-device at his throat. I couldn't blame him. The knife was old but still sharp, and Chichiri had a look in his eye that defied description, a look that said _I will kill you, right now, and I won't lose one wink of sleep over it either. _Damn scary.

"I'm fine," I told him, surprised at how calm I sounded. "It was an accident. Could you get off Dmitri, please? He's going to have a heart attack if you don't."

He did as I said. Good seishi. Mika will give you a treat later. Dmitri didn't move, even when Chichiri snapped the knife shut and shoved it back into his pocket. Man, soft suburban living sure had lowered Nakago's badass points by a few hundred thousand, hadn't it?

"Um…" I heard Hoshi squeak at my side. "Is he a… er… friend, of yours, Mika-chan?" She'd had the presence of mind not to call me 'Miko' in front of Dmitri either. She always had been good at keeping her head, even in the craziest of situations. This definitely hit the top of the list, I decided.

"Something like that," I said with a sigh, rubbing my temples and gesturing for Chichiri to move away from the panicky college kid on the ground. "Hoshi, I'd like you to meet Ren. Ren-kun, this is Hoshi, the friend I was telling you about. The guy you held at knife-point was Dmitri. I say 'was' because there's a good chance his soul just escaped his body."

We all three shot him a sidelong glance, and he finally seemed to realize that lying on the floor any longer would make him an enormous wuss, so he scrambled into a standing position, still giving Ren a look that said _Come near me and I'll... charge you with assault_. Okay, maybe that wasn't the ending he was actually thinking, but it seemed about right to me.

Brave Warrior Seishi taken care of, I turned back to Chichiri, trying to figure out exactly what to say. Finally, I landed on the most obvious question. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay with Nu – with Yoshimi." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hoshi's eyebrows shoot to the top of her head. She'd caught my slip. Knowing her, she'd also just figured out who 'Ren' really was. Judging by the way she sat back down in her chair, and_hard_, I could tell she was about as shocked as I had been.

Chichiri swallowed hard and looked at his feet, bowing as usual. "Mo… moushi wake arimasen, Mikako-dono!" I swear it took me a full five seconds to figure out what 'moushi wake arimasen' meant, I hadn't heard it in so long. When I finally realized he was using a ridiculously respectful and outdated form of 'I'm sorry,' I had to fight not to groan out loud. We'd just passed into dangerously polite territory – he must have thought I was _really_ pissed, instead of just a little irritated. "I wanted to do as you said, I honestly did, but I kept getting that uncomfortable feeling that I told you about, and it made me really restless, and, um…" he hesitated, then finally admitted, "and to tell you the truth, Sanjou-san sort of… scares me."

I snorted a laugh out through my nose. "Yeah, she sort of scares me, too."

"Anyway, I'm very sorry, but I left the café, really just to get some air, but I started to worry about you, you'd been gone a while, and those uncomfortable feelings were _really_ close, and I was thinking about it really hard, and then I sort of... looked up... and I was inside the Bu residence's walls."

Now _my_ eyebrows shot up into my hairline. Well, he _had_ mentioned that he could sometimes teleport. Remembering where we were, I cast a nervous glance at Dmitri, but he didn't look like he was paying a whole lot of attention to the conversation. Looked more like he was still trying to call his soul back from wherever it had run off to, to be honest. Brave Warrior Seishi indeed, I thought with another almost-chuckle.

"I didn't know what else to do, I'm really very sorry, Mikako-dono, so I thought I'd just find you and make sure you were okay, and then maybe try to do the same thing to leave. I had just gotten to the outside of this window when I heard someone enter the room, and you were talking with them, and I'm sorry, I don't really know how to explain it but that person just made me nervous all over, and then I heard you scream, and…" He glanced at me out of his bangs, embarrassed, but more than that, concerned. "You _sure_ you're all right, Mikako-dono?"

I laughed. "Yeah, Ren-kun, I'm fine. Last time I checked, no one ever went to the emergency room over some spilled water."

I kick myself for that comment now, but at the time it had seemed harmless, even a little funny, and I figured Chichiri just looked down again because he was ashamed at overreacting like that. Brilliant, brilliant me. He apologized again, but I waved it off and told him that he really ought to be apologizing to poor Dmitri, which he did, several times and with plenty of gusto, although I could tell he was still a little wary around his former enemy. Dmitri accepted them all, and by the time Chichiri had finished his 'sumimasen'-a-thon, Dmitri had regained all of his composure and even offered to give Chichiri a tour of the grounds while Hoshi and I finished catching up. Chichiri looked a little nervous about that, but I couldn't be worried no matter how hard I tried, so I told the two to play nicely and waved them out of the room.

"Well," I said when the doors finally clicked shut, "you've met Chichiri-kun."

"I gathered that," she muttered. I hadn't realized until just then that she'd been almost silent since he'd jumped through the window. Maybe his appearance had shocked her even more than it had me. "You know, I was prepared for every anomaly, but an 'Onii-san' who is younger than me…" she shook her head and let out a bemused little chuckle. "This world is filled with interesting plot twists. Might I ask why you neglected to mention him to me?"

"I wanted to surprise you later," I admitted. "And I guess I kind of did."

"Indeed," she agreed with a crooked smile. "How is he? He seemed an all right chap just now, but so did Hotohori upon first glance, so…?"

I waved a dismissive hand and set my chin into my palm again. "What, Chichiri-kun? Oh, he's fine, probably the best of the group, and the only one who'll actually admit that he gives two sneezes about me, but he's still… well, you saw him. He's not _bad_, exactly, but he's cho-timid, always apologizing and cringing and acting like he's not good enough for anyone or anything. And now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever _really_ seen him smile, not even once. It's starting to drive me a little batty, but at the same time I think that if I'm too rough with him he'll break." I nodded to myself. "Yeah, that's it. He's fragile. Sort of… sort of like he's Houjun instead of Chichiri. Does that make sense?"

"It does, but I think you're relying too heavily on sources that may prove untrue."

"Eh?"

"When it comes right down to it, Mika-chan, all we have as proof for the happenings within this world are some books that, like many books, may have been grossly exaggerated or even fabricated all together." My eyes narrowed and I opened my mouth to argue, but Hoshi guessed my thoughts and held up a finger to silence me. "I'm not saying it was _all_ false. From what we've observed, and from your family's personal stories, I think it is safe to assume that the major details of the original manga series are basically true. But the _gaiden_ novels… I'm just not certain about those. How would Miaka or Tamahome have _known_ some of that information, to share it with their writer friend?"

"But Nakago—"

"May have been an unfortunate coincidence." I wanted to argue again, but Hoshi kept going. "Look, I'm not trying to tell you that the _gaiden_ novels were complete lies. All I'm saying is, we don't _know_, and if we want to investigate this situation properly then we have to assume that everything we do not know is false. That includes Chichiri's personality before he met the Suzaku seishi."

"But what about all those stories that my Keisuke Ojii-chan collected?" I argued. "They _all_ agree with me, or at least the ones worth reading agree with me!"

Hoshi met my eyes squarely, one petite eyebrow raised. "Mikako," she said flatly, "turn-of-the-century American fanfiction featuring a _Doctor Who_ crossover does _not_ count as a viable source from which to gather valid information."

"But it was so _good_…" I pouted into my sleeves.

She ignored me, which I admit was probably for the best. "For now, I think it would be best to say that 'he's not acting entirely like Chichiri,' just as the other seishi aren't acting entirely like themselves. It's that missing something…" she sighed and changed the subject. "At any rate, I'm glad to see that Chichiri is a decent human being, though I had suspected he might be – don't ask me why," she said when I raised an eyebrow, "call it writer's intuition. At any rate, I can trust him with you, and that's the important part. I don't know how many of the seishi I will be able to say that about."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, I don't really have anything to go on, but… from what I've observed thus far from the others, Mitsukake should be as harmless as Chichiri. I honestly haven't the faintest notion about Chiriko either way, he was so terribly ignored in the original tale." She bit her lip again, and I knew she was thinking hard about this next part. "It's Tasuki I'm worried about."

"Eh? Why him?"

"Because with the others we can only guess how they might behave. With Tasuki, we _know_ what his darker side looks like, and if you'll recall it isn't particularly friendly."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake, you're not talking about _that_, are you? We've been over this again and again Hoshi, and I keep _telling_ you, that wasn't _really_ Tasuki doing all of those horrible things!"

"And I keep telling _you_, Mikako, the entire point was that it _was_ Tasuki doing those things. A buried part, without reason or honor or self-control, perhaps, but it was him all the same. And those very qualities may be the ones that you will find missing when you meet _this_ world's incarnation." She looked so worried that I didn't have the heart to argue with her anymore. "Keep Chichiri and Nuriko near you. They'll protect you, I think. And please, be careful when you find him, Mika-chan. Please."

"I will be," I assured her with a small pout. I didn't mean to, it's just that it's a little annoying when she treats me like I'm so much younger or more immature than she is. I'm really not, we just have different ways of thinking about things is all. "But I don't know why you're saying it like that. You'll be there too, to take notes and warn me every time you sense an unpleasant plot twist."

Hoshi remembered the tea in front of her and took a sip of it, taking her sweet time to nibble at a manju as well. Finally, without even looking at me, she said, "I'm not coming with you, Miko-chan."

My mouth went dry. "What? Y…you mean, you're gonna s-stay here, and b-become—?"

She snorted. "Do I look that daft to you? Of course I won't become the miko. Didn't I already tell you that I would never accept such a position? And besides, Kutou has no _need_ of celestial aid, not right now. It would be a complete waste of time for me to run around this nation tracking down more infant seishi for a useless cause."

"Then why?"

"Truthfully, I feel that I will aid you much more from here than I ever would from wandering around Konan, gathering seishi," she explained. "As I said, Bu-san is the caretaker of the largest and most complete library in Kutou. There will be endless information in its archives and databases, and not just from this nation. I may be able to find out something about Konan's current situation, and the changes in the seishi. I'll continue to scan information, and while I do, _you_ can keep researching the situation from a closer vantage point. You can keep trying to help your seishi as well. Judging from what Chiro-san has told you, you might be softening at least Riki, which is certainly a start." I must have looked as disappointed as I felt, because Hoshi's voice and face both got all gentle and quiet. "We'll keep in touch, Miko-chan. I'll give you both my phone number and e-mail address, for help or just to chat, and you can contact me whenever you like. I'll do the same for you."

I nodded, then cocked my head. "Wait... they have _computers_ in this world?"

Hoshi rubbed at her temples. "And I've been here _how_ many days less than you have? Yes, Miko-chan, they have computers, and even something that they attempt to pass off as the internet. When you return to the palace ask Joumi-san to make you an account. The connection speed will drive you mad, but it will be the fastest way for me to send you any important documents I come across. Learn your phone number, too, though I know you won't be at the palace very much. Here," she grabbed a napkin and scribbled her own information down on it. I stared at the little "at" sign in her e-mail for a minute and tried not to laugh. Oh, this world was just too cute. "Now, it's getting late, and my stomach is angry at me. Did you want to stay for lunch, or did you need to head straight back to Konan?"

I should've said Konan, but I had missed my friend. So I instead spent another pleasant pair of hours with her, Dmitri, Chichiri and the twins. I even got to meet the boys' parents, though only briefly. They seemed like the kind of people I could trust to keep an eye on Hoshi, which made me feel almost comfortable about leaving her again.

I think I'd have preferred to stay for a few days, but there were seishi to find and nations to save – and besides, I had a feeling Nuriko and Riki would both kill me if I didn't let them go home before the night was over. In too short of a time I had to say good-bye, so Chichiri and I thanked all our hosts for their hospitality, I hugged my best friend once more, and we headed back out into the wide world.

We found Nuriko still waiting in the café like a good little soldier. She jumped up when she saw me enter with Chichiri and bowed low. She looked ashamed, almost frantic. "Mikako! I'm terribly sorry for losing sight of Ren-kun, I know you asked him to stay with me, I had only turned my back for a second to buy a drink when he—"

"Oh, calm down, it was no harm done," I told her, patting her on her bowed shoulder. "And you know, you might have a better time hanging on to your charges if you'd relax a little. You scare the poor kid, you know. Hell, you even scare _me_ sometimes." She looked up at that, and even seemed a little on the puzzled side, but I didn't give her a lot of time to ponder over it, at least not right then. "Anyway, didn't you want to get back to Konan? And we still need to drag Sleeping Beastie out of his bed, too. We should get going."

"Your friend is not returning with us?"

"Nope, she's got important business here. I'll give her a call later and we'll gossip properly though, don't worry about that."

Nuriko accepted that, or maybe she didn't really care either way. Whichever way, the three of us piled into her car and weaved our way back to the hotel, facing another stream of traffic before having to face the still-grumpy Riki. He called us all more than a few names as we hauled him out of bed, and even said a couple things about Suzaku that were so harsh I actually saw Chichiri touch two fingers to his forehead in some kind of religious gesture that must've meant "_Please don't smite _us_ just because we have to hang out with this blasphemous git." _At least, that's what _I_ would have prayed for. Somehow we got checked out of the hotel and into the car, and with Ren and me in the back seat and Riki sprawled on the passenger's side, we left Kutou in a blaze of car smog and muttered curses, on our way back to gloom, doom, and the Koutei-Baka.

Lucky, lucky me.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:**  
Hajimemashite – How do you do (literally it's a request to begin)  
Yoroshiku ne – Nice to meet you (literally "please remember me" or "regard me kindly")  
Douzo yoroshiku –Same as above, but more polite  
_Gaiden_ – Literally _Outside Story_, these are what the prologue FY novels are called. You can find translations to a lot of them on Tetris no Miko's website.  
moushi wake arimasen – I'm very sorry (very polite)  
Ojii-chan – Grandpa (in this case she's referring to a Great-something grandfather, of course)  
Nii-san – Big Brother; the term doesn't have to be used on blood relatives  
Nee-san – Big Sister; same as above

**Suffixes**  
-nii – it comes from 'nii-san' or 'big brother.' When tagged to a person's name, like 'Miccha-nii,' it means 'Brother Miccha.' The term isn't always literal, of course.

**Names Explained!**  
Bu – (豐) "Bountiful." The significance here is that the twins' last name in their former incarnation was also "Bu," though it was written with the kanji for "warrior."  
Tokubo & Shoubo – (督某 & 従某) "Lead (Toku) One (Bo)" and "Follow (Shou) One (Bo)." So, "the one who leads" and "the one who follows." (I was quite proud of this one, y'know!)  
Dmitri – "Loves the earth." I chose a popular Russian name, because the nearest blonde-haired, blue-eyed people to _our_ China would be from Russia, so it made sense for me to use that nation for my 'northlands of Hokkan.' The affectionate form is "Mitya," which the boys pronounce "Miccha."

**Author's Note: 1/27/08**  
Hi everyone!  
Phew! Even though there wasn't a lot of action in this chapter, writing it wore me out because it just felt like _so much_ happened! Hoshi and Mikako talked about so much, I feel a little tired just thinking about it. But it's good, though – I've started moving the second level of the storyline forward, which means things are just going to get more and more interesting from here!

What did you all think of this chapter? Plenty to digest, and some new characters with some surprising characteristics, too! Some of you were thinking it might happen this way though, huh? I don't plan on introducing any more Seiryuu seishi, so sorry to anyone who was looking forward to that, but you might see some more of Mitya and the twins later! For now though, we've got to head back to Konan. I need to do a little back story stuff with some of the current seishi, and then we'll be off to find Seishi Number Five! Let's hope Hoshi's predictions don't turn out to be _too_ accurate, ah-heh…

(And of course, extra credit points if you know which fanfic Hoshi & Mika referenced in this chapter! XD )

Thanks to Gauri92, Ane-san, antyem13, Chichiri's Wanderer, Ayriel, MagicAnimeGirl, inuphantom13, Amaya-san and Lady Seiryu for reviewing! I'm glad that my long breaks haven't chased you all away, and with a little luck from now on I'll be able to update quickly, like I did this time!

Next Time: After a disastrous 'welcome back' dinner, Mika finds herself alone with Chichiri. Will she be able to connect a little better with her timid fourth seishi, or is the meeting doomed to end in disappointment? See you all again soon! Oh, and for those of you over 18, don't forget to vote (for Barack Obama) in your local primary:-)

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	17. Adolescent Nomad

**Chapter Seventeen: Adolescent Nomad**  
The return-trip to the palace was three parts boring and one part headache, that headache of course arriving when Riki finally woke up and found out that, since we were already about three days behind schedule and navigating the streets of Eiyou were a royal pain, Nuriko was going to take a side highway that would skip out on the city entirely and take us straight to the palace – which meant that Riki wasn't going home right away. I tried to ignore his curses, his death threats, his endless stream of complaints, and eventually succeeded in dozing off for a couple of hours. By the time I woke up he'd finally quieted into a sulk and we were within sight of the palace.

We drove on through the gates and pulled into Nuriko's garage just a little after the sun came up. Joumi was waiting there to greet us, but none of us were feeling particularly willing to socialize or do much of anything except pass out in a palace bed – Nuriko most of all, since she'd been the only one of us able and willing to drive – so the conversation was pretty one-sided.

"It is good to see everyone back."

"Nn."

"Oh, and who is this? Another of Mika-chan's seishi, I suppose."

"Nn."

"Hajimemashite. My name is Joumi. And you are?"

"Kanmei Bya – I'm Chichiri, Joumi-dono."

"Now now, none of that – why not call me Joumi-senpai? Come along, I shall lead you three to your rooms. Good night, Yoshimi-san. I will see you for dinner tonight, I hope?"

"Nn."

"Thank you, Joumi… senpai."

There might've been more after that, I don't quite remember. I _do_ remember that Joumi was especially kind to Chichiri, and even when she asked him to remove his hat indoors and saw his face she barely batted an eye at it and just moved us along down the hallways, narrating the past three days as she led us to each of our rooms. Riki sort of collapsed through the first doorway, slamming it shut behind him, and I must have done something pretty similar to the second because I actually woke up later that day on the couch, not real sure how I'd gotten there. I sat up, squinting my eyes against the evening light coming through the half-open window and trying to figure out what to do next. I had almost decided to just go back to sleep until morning when someone rapped on my door.

"Mikako-dono? Are you awake?"

I recognized the voice but couldn't place a name. "Yeah, sorta. What's up?"

"This is Taki." Oh, the servant girl who'd been assigned to me from before. "Joumi-sama sent me. If you are feeling up to it, she would like very much to see you at dinner tonight. Your other seishi will be there as well, including his Imperial Majesty Meigiri V."

I stuck out my tongue and was glad she couldn't see it. Boo to the Emperor, but… "Yeah, food sounds good. Thanks for the invitation."

"Er… I was also sent here to accompany you to the baths, and then perhaps to, ah, aid you once more in finding some suitable clothing for the evening."

Yeesh. Palace life was going to spoil me rotten at this rate. Good thing I still had my barmy seishi around to keep me on my toes. "That sounds _wonderful_," I said as I threw open the door. "Please, Taki-san, take me to the pampering. I'm going to need it for this Hell Meal Joumi-senpai's got planned."

oOo

Taki led me to the same private dining room where I'd eaten my first meal in the palace. Riki and Nuriko were already at the table and sitting about as far away from each other as possible, Riki looking like he'd just swallowed a bad lemon and Nuriko looking like she always did. Huh, now that I think about it, I guess there were _both_ wearing their usual expressions, then. A bottle of tasty-looking wine sat at the center of the table, so I helped myself to a glass as well. I was trying to figure out which seat would be the one Hotohori would be least likely to sit by, and had finally decided that I would have to suck it up and sit next to Riki when Joumi and Chichiri came through the door, Chichiri sporting a brand new set of clothes and an extremely frightened expression.

"So Joumi-senpai told you we were eating with the emperor?" I asked, taking a guess as to why he looked like he'd just jumped into a shark tank. He turned even paler and made as if to bolt from the room, but Joumi slipped an arm around his shoulders and pushed him gently towards the table. I giggled. "Guess that wasn't it, then."

"He's just nervous because I requested that he not wear his hat to table," Joumi explained, taking a seat. I hurriedly slid into a spot next to her and gestured for Chichiri to sit on my other side, which he of course did. Mission "Not Sit Next to Any Gits" Accomplished.

"I'm sorry Joumi-senpai, I didn't want to seem rude, it's just…" Chichiri sighed and trailed off, tugging at his bangs as if trying to will them to grow about two inches longer.

"I understand, Chichiri-kun, but you needn't worry yourself. You are among friends and allies here who will accept you exactly as you are."

"So long as you're not a dick, anyway," Riki cracked from the other end of the table. The door opened again and he snickered. "And speak of the devil…"

I wanted to laugh with him, but it didn't seem very appropriate with Joumi and Nuriko sitting near me and glaring twin laser beams into Riki's face, so instead I took another sip of wine and tried not to growl when Hotohori strode past me and stood behind the chair at the head of the table.

"It is good to see you all back safe and sound," he said, and he actually sounded like he meant it. "When Yo – I apologize – when _Nuriko_ informed me that you were taking a slight detour to Kutou, I was quite worried, but it looks like…" he trailed off, eyes sliding across the table towards the one face he wasn't familiar with. "Oh. And you are?"

Chichiri stared hard at the table and muttered something unintelligible. I opened my mouth to come to his defense but Hotohori held up a hand to silence me. I probably would've ignored it, but by then he was talking again, so I decided to wait and see what he had to say. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. And you'd do well to look at your emperor when speaking to him, boy."

_Twitch_. My eyebrow jumped into my hairline. Please, Kannon, let this meal not end in me throwing boiling soup over his head. "It's all right, Chichiri-kun," I heard Joumi whisper beside me. Then, to the brother on her other side, "He's just a bit shy is all. Meeting the emperor is a rather great honor, you know."

"I suppose," Hotohori muttered, but he sort of sounded like he didn't agree. "But he can't really meet me if he won't speak to me."

"Mo… moushi wake arimasen, Heika," Ren said, just loud enough that we could all hear him. I saw his shoulders rise as he took a deep breath, then he turned his head forward and met the other man's eyes. "My seishi name is Chichiri. It's a pleasure—"

"Dear gods!" Hotohori just about shrieked, throwing a hand to his mouth and pointing the other one straight at Chichiri's disfigured face. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

Nuriko's voice rumbled low from his other side. "Heika—"

"Ane-ue, have you _seen _that? What in the nine hells _happened_? Suzaku, he doesn't even look _human_!"

"Heika, would you—"

"I don't understand – _that_ is one of our seishi? Boy, tell me, what made the gods _do_ that to you? It's _awful_!"

I wanted to do something, but I was just so damned shocked that all I could do was sit stone still in my seat with my mouth hanging open, staring at the emperor and trying to figure out what planet I'd been dropped onto where people could talk like that and not get struck by lightning. The chair next to me clattered back so fast that it fell over, and I heard Ren's hands hit the table as he squeaked out, "Moushi wake arimasen!" and whirled, bolting for the doors, throwing them open and disappearing down the long walkway.

I jerked my head to the door and saw it swinging crazily on its hinges, and just like that I was awake and ready to kick some ass again. I felt my face turn beet red and my hands clench at my sides, and my body was halfway out of my chair when—

_THWAP!_

A sound like someone throwing a hunk of raw meat down the stairs echoed around the room, and when I turned to look and see where it had come from I saw Nuriko standing over Hotohori with her hand held out paddle-shaped, and Hotohori almost doubled over, his own hands clutching at his cheek. He gasped out a couple "Aaaah" noises under his breath, the only sound to break the otherwise coffin-quiet of the room, then managed to squeak, "Ane-ue, did you see what sh—?"

"Mika-chan," Joumi snapped, though it took me a second to realize she was speaking, the voice was so icy and full of steel. "Please go look after Chichiri-kun." I jerked my head towards her and my eyes just about popped out of my head. Joumi's already pale skin had faded to a color somewhere around "snow," and she had her jaw clenched so tightly I was kind of afraid she'd crack it. Scariest of all though were her eyes. Those were the eyes of a mother whose son had just spat on a homeless guy, a sister whose brother had just tripped a blind man. Those were the kind of eyes that'd make you swear up and down that you'd never, ever be a bad kid again, so help you God, Buddha, and the hammer-wielding Thor. "Nuriko and I will take care of my… _brother_."

Oh yeah, they'd take care of him. By the time they were done, he'd_ want_ me to throw boiling soup over his head.

I nodded and dashed out the door, Riki's belated but hearty cackles following me down the walkway, but by the time I turned the corner I had slowed down to a trot, then a walk, and finally to a dead stop. Because the truth was, as much as I wanted to go find Chichiri and hug him and assure him that Hotohori was just an enormous prat and his opinion didn't matter anyway, and _we _all thought he was nice even if his face was all maimed and he could get kind of annoying sometimes – as much as I wanted to do all that, I couldn't, because I had _no idea_ where he'd run off to.

"Yabbai," I grumbled, thumping my forehead into a nearby column. Some Miko I was. My seishi was out there sobbing somewhere and I had absolutely no idea how to find him.

Wait a sec. I _was_ his miko, wasn't I? So there had to be _some_ kind of connection between us. Just like how all the seishi had immediately known when Nuriko was wounded by Ashitare, and how Tamahome could always seem to find Miaka because she was like a little blip on his ki-radar… just like all that, there had to be_ some_ way I could track down Chichiri.

"H'oooookay," I said to that same column. "If I was a Chichiri, and I _really_ wanted to find me, where would I go?"

I closed my eyes and thought about as hard as I could about that question, hoping that if nothing else I might be able to get a good idea of where to start. The screen in my brain remained completely blank for about a minute, and I was just about to give up and go back and yell at Hotohori to take my mind off of my own shortcomings, when – _turn left_ – popped into my head.

So I did, and what was I looking at but the far away tower of the palace's Suzaku shrine!

"Bingo," I said, thanking whatever little thing inside of me had found Chichiri's hiding place, and headed off at a fast jog, hoping I'd catch him before he decided to run off someplace else.

As I got closer I noticed a dim light glowing out of the windows, and slowed my pace to a walk, convinced that he was inside. I reached the doors a minute later and pushed them open as silently as possible. I didn't have to look long to find the little guy – he was standing at the front of the shrine, perched on tiptoe before the Suzaku statue, a lit wick in one hand as he attempted to reach and light the tall lamps swinging to either side of the beast-god image. I didn't mean to, but it was goofy-looking enough that I giggled a little as I said, "Need some help?"

"Da!" he squeaked, jumping about a foot in the air and nearly dropping his wick. He whirled to face me, looking like a kid who'd just got caught stealing pocky, but relaxed a little when he saw it was me. "Oh… Mikako-dono… I'm so sorry, I was just…"

I smiled and crossed the chamber, taking the wick out of his limp hands and reaching up to get the lamps. I wasn't all that tall myself, but next to Chichiri I was starting to feel like the giant at the top of the beanstalk. "Just trying to see in this place," I finished for him. "Nothing wrong with that. There!" I handed the wick back to him and turned to face the room, now considerably brighter. "You know, it's _almost_ cheery in here, though the poor place could do with a renovation. You'd think they'd give a bigger part of the budget to the palace's own shrine."

"All of the shrines run on donations alone," Chichiri explained quietly as he used the wick to light up some incense sticks. "I guess they have more important things to worry about in the palace." It sounded like the sort of line you were supposed to say angrily, but he didn't sound even the least bit bitter. He blew out the wick and set it to the side, facing the shrine again and pressing his hands together in front of his chest. I bowed my head and clapped my hands together, and he shot me a puzzled look out of the corner of his working eye. "Um, Mikako-dono… I apologize for asking, but what are you doing?"

"Eh?" I looked up and grinned nervously. "Oh, it's the only real religious gesture I know, so I figured I'd try it. It's what we always do when we go to the shrine during festivals."

"Does the religion in your world not have many gestures?"

"Depends on the religion, I guess. _I _don't know that many, but that's 'cause I'm not all that religious."

"You mean... you don't have any gods to pray to? No afterlife to think about?"

"Er… there are plenty of gods that I pray to, though I only do it seriously when something kinda bad happens to me or someone I'm close to. And as for the afterlife…" I thought about it for a minute, then shrugged and smiled. "I guess I'm not real worried one way or the other!"

He actually turned to look at me this time, and there was something in his voice that sounded… well, almost _sorry_ for me, actually. "But don't you want to escape _samsara_? Don't you want to be freed from karma? Don't you want Suzaku to accept you into his Heavenly Palace, so you'll never have to worry about that endless cycle of suffering and rebirth again?"

The questions were deep, deeper than stuff we normally talked about in school or at home or even when we were waxing high-school-philosophical at our favorite cafes, and I had to think about it for a second before I could come up with a real answer. At last, though, after chewing on my lip and staring up at that cracked Suzaku statue, I finally shrugged and said, "I don't know, really. On the one hand, that Heavenly Palace thing _does_ sound kind of nice. But on the other, there are still a lot of things I haven't seen or done, and there will be all sorts of new and exciting things in the future. So maybe getting reborn again wouldn't be so bad. It'd be sort of like getting endless chances to do all the things you'd always wanted to do."

Chichiri looked away again, working eye trailing towards the Suzaku shrine, and the faint wisps of incense smoke slithering towards the ceiling. "...I've never really thought of it like that before. I've always, always wanted to escape."

"Well you're certainly putting in a lot of work, so maybe you will this time!"

"No," he said in a whisper so quiet I almost didn't catch it. "Not this time. My karmic debt is too high. But maybe, if I can work it off little by little in _this_ life, then…" His eye widened suddenly and he flushed bright red, gulping hard and staring a hole into the floor. "Mo… moushi wake arimasen, Mikako-dono! I didn't mean to be so forward, speaking to you about all of these things that you don't even care about! I know it's very boring, so—"

"Betsu ni," I assured him, crouching down on my heels and turning my eyes to the ceiling. "Like I said, I'm not all that religious, so this is really interesting to me. You were gonna say a prayer or something, right? Don't let me stop you. If you show me how to stand and what signs to make, I'll even try to do it with you." I chuckled. "I should probably know how to pray to the god I'm supposed to be summoning, after all."

"Ah…" Chichiri chanced a glance at me out of the corner of his eye, maybe trying to see if I was just being polite, but I made sure to wear my most excited and cheerful smile, so he swallowed back his embarrassment and nodded. "Mm. Then please stand up again, and hold your hands like this, and just try to follow along with what I do and think the words after I say them, since you don't know them. This is a simple prayer, but it's really important to Suzaku Shinon."

'_Two points to Chiro-san for guessing the sect right,'_ I thought, but before I could make any comments on it Chichiri had leaned forward and bowed three times, so I had to hurry to keep up with him. We held the last one for extra-long, then his eyes flicked up to the shrine and he said, with every ounce of himself:

"_Suzaku, god of love and light,  
I enjoin my hands and pray to you,  
Who resides in every quarter, direction and within my heart.  
Let your eternal compassion kindle the Light of Hope in all those  
Who grope bewildered in the gloom of sorrow.  
Namu Suzaku no Aware_."

I'd heard lots of prayers before when I'd gone to the shrines for festivals, mostly asking for good fortune for the future months, but I'd _never_ heard anything like this before. It wasn't that the words were that deep or complex, but there was something in the way he said it, like he was pouring all of his soul up and out through that tiny chest and into the room, and it was filled with hope and belief and longing and almost overwhelming sorrow, until by the end of the prayer I felt like I was surrounded, maybe not in Suzaku's heavenly embrace, but certainly in the faith of my youngest seishi, a faith that was so strong and certain that nothing in this world could ever make it crack. He didn't just believe in Suzaku's love. He was desperate for it.

"Mikako-dono?"

I opened my eyes and realized that I had tears in them. Breaking my pose just long enough to hurriedly brush them away, I turned to glance at Chichiri, thankful that he had his eyes closed again and hadn't seen my little emotional moment. "Um, yeah?"

"We're supposed to chant that last line together seven times. Can you remember it?"

"Namu… Suzaku no… Aware… tte ne?"

He nodded, so we did that together, but this time I was ready for that sudden outpouring of emotion and managed to keep myself together. When it was all over I snuck a glance at him to see what we had to do next. He bowed another three times, then lowered his hands and _poof_, just like that he was timid little Chichiri-kun again, twisting the edge of his oversized shirt and staring hard at the ground. "Anyway… that's that. I'm sorry, I don't say it as well as the priests do."

I doubted that Suzaku himself could've said it better, but I decided not to embarrass him by telling him that. "I liked it. Thanks." He nodded towards the far end of the chamber, so I followed him to where a little miniature shrine, this one with Suzaku's human form carved on an ancient-looking tablet, sat in the corner. He bowed to it once and then took a seat underneath it. "So," I said as I joined him, leaning back against the base of the shrine and fairly certain we weren't supposed to be doing that, "where'd you learn how to say them so well? Just pick them up over the years?"

"My 'Kaa-chan taught them to me," he explained with the hint of a sad smile. "She was… very dedicated to Shinon. She could say the prayers better than anybody, even better than the head priests at the national shrines. We'd say them together every night, even when I could barely speak. I learned how to read by looking off the _Shinon Sutra_, even."

I quickly compared that to my first books about silly rabbits going on adventures and foxes outsmarting humans, and decided I'd stick with my animal stories. "You said she 'was' very dedicated… is she not around anymore?" I blushed and held up my hands. "Er, not to pry or anything, and you can yell at me if that's cho-rude to ask, it's just… Riki said you were homeless."

"Mm," he agreed with a little nod. "I guess I am. Most Suzaku Shrines are built up off the ground a little bit, to help prevent flooding during the monsoon season. I've been living under those for about six months, now."

"By yourself?"

He nodded again, then glanced up. "Oh, but please don't misunderstand – 'Kaa-chan, she hasn't deserted me or anything. It's just that… things were really hard, and we couldn't be together anymore. She took me to a foster home, a good one, and she promised that she'd send for me just as soon as she found work…" He looked down again, curling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. "Only, not too long after that…something happened and… and I couldn't stay there anymore. That's why I made my way to the capital. She said she was coming here to look for work, and I know she's trying to find me, too. So if we both just keep looking, then I'm sure… someday…"

That sounded a whole heck of a lot like desertion to me, but the way he talked about that 'Kaa-chan of his, with so much blind love and devotion, I sort of _forced_ myself to believe that he was right. I had a feeling it'd break his heart if he wasn't. "Something happened at the foster home that made you leave?" I repeated, so intent on changing the subject that I didn't even think about where I was plunging. "Is that when you got those sca—"

I squeaked and clapped my hands across my mouth, but of course by then the button had already been pressed and the nuke was sailing through the air, getting ready to slam into Chichiri's face and completely obliterate whatever cheering-up I'd managed to do up to this point, and all I could do was wince and close my eyes and hope we could find survivors in the aftermath, and…

"Oh, no," he said with perfect calm. "That happened when I was a lot younger."

I opened my eyes again, shocked to see that Chichiri was looking forward without even a shred of agony on his young face. If anything, he just looked a shade uncomfortable, and to be honest he _always_ looked like that. "Young…er…?" I repeated.

He must've understood that that was my way of asking, _"Care to tell me about it?"_ because he nodded and said, "I was about four. I don't remember it very well. It, it wasn't anyone's fault, though," he added hurriedly. "It's just, 'Kaa-chan was pregnant with Megumi-chan, and she was having a hard time getting around, but I couldn't really take care of myself either, and she was trying to make something for dinner for the two of us, and… well, like I said, I don't really remember it. I remember there was a pot of hot water for tea, and a lot of heat and a loud bang. I remember 'Kaa-chan crying, and I think I was crying, too."

"_Boiling water_?" I repeated, one of my hands snaking up to cover my mouth. "You got hit by… oh, ugh!" Just the thought of it made me cringe and rub a hand against my cheek. "That must've been _awful_."

"Thank you for your concern, but to be honest I don't really remember being in all that much pain. I asked about it when I got older, and what I think happened was, I was burnt so bad that it sort of fried off the nerves, so I really _couldn't_ feel anything. I was just really… numb, and I remember asking over and over why I couldn't see right." He said it all calmly, like he was talking about whether it'd rain tomorrow or not, but _I_ had to hug myself and shiver a few times at the grizzly description. Oh, thank you gods for the invention of Med. "I was only crying because 'Kaa-chan was crying, and there was this bad smell and all this steam and water everywhere, and I think that I knew without really understanding why that something terrible had happened.

"The next thing I remember, 'Kaa-chan's holding me, and she keeps muttering, 'Baby, you pulled it down when I wasn't looking and dropped it on yourself.' 'Remember when the doctors ask you, baby, you tell them how you pulled that pot down on yourself.' 'They'll take you away from me if you don't tell them just that, baby.' We were so poor, 'Kaa-chan was always afraid that someone would decide that she couldn't take care of me anymore, and they'd split us apart. B-but I'm sure that's what really happened!" he added hotly. "She was just afraid I'd be confused and not remember it right. So… so that's what I told the doctors later. And they took me to the hospital and they kept me alive. I-it wasn't anybody's fault, and I'm glad that they helped because 'Kaa-chan would've been so sad if I'd died, but… even so, I should've been more careful. It was the beginning of a lot of bad luck for us."

"How so?"

"The medical bills were so high. 'Kaa-chan could never quite pay them off. Then she had Megumi-chan and she couldn't go to work, so she lost her job, and since we weren't able to save anything together we got kicked out of the apartment." There was something intensely sad, I thought suddenly, about him saying 'we' all the time, as if he'd had any control over the situation. "From then on, she could never really find another steady job, and we had to move all the time. And then Megumi-chan got sick… paying the doctor, and then paying for the funeral, it was just too much. We couldn't even afford to get _evicted_ any more. That was when 'Kaa-chan decided it would be better for us to live apart for a while. So, so really, when you come right down to it, she's suffering somewhere out there because of my carelessness… huh…?"

I frowned and curled my own knees up to my chin. "I think that's a pretty long line to draw, Chiri-kun," I grumbled into my jeans. "And anyway, it sounds to me like _you've_ had it kind of rough, too. Going through all that when you were barely out of diapers? That must've been terrible."

"Sometimes," he agreed. "But 'Kaa-chan insisted that Megumi-chan and I live as normally as we could. Even when we had to move, she made sure we were always able to keep going to the same school. She said we needed that."

"So you went to school, huh? That's good I guess, but… did you get bullied an awful lot?"

Chichiri snorted. "Mikako-dono, with all due respect, please don't ask stupid questions. I'm five-foot nothing with a girl's name and half a face like candle wax. Of _course_ I got bullied." He leaned his head back against the wood behind us, a wistful smile so small it was almost nonexistent flickering like a ghost across his face. "But it wasn't so bad, really. I had friends… good ones, too… until…" he trailed off, and I briefly debated whether to press him into giving me more details, but he made the decision for me when he suddenly said, "Mikako-dono, could I please ask a favor?"

"Uh, I guess so."

"Could you please call me 'Ren' instead of 'Chichiri'? I just… it makes me nervous, getting called by such an honorable name."

"Oh, how come?" I thought about his fluctuating powers – and my conversation with Hoshi earlier – and decided to do a little covert investigating. "Did you just find out you were a seishi recently? Is that why it makes you nervous?"

He shook his head. "I've known about being 'Chichiri' for almost as long as I've known about being 'Ren.' Ever since I was in the store with 'Kaa-chan one summer, and I saw a candy bar that I really wanted on one of the higher shelves. I remember thinking how good it looked, and how hungry I was, and then it just sort of… floated down to me."

"That must've scared the hell out of your mother."

"At first, but it was summer. She noticed the symbol on my knee even before I did."

"Judging by her devotion to Suzaku, I guess she was pleased?"

"_Ecstatic_," he corrected, but he sounded even more miserable and ashamed than ever. "She was so, so happy to have a son who was blessed by Heaven itself. She always told me that I had to grow up pure and strong, so I could be worthy of my title as one of Suzaku's Chosen. But… the truth is…" he set his chin against his curled-up knees, and for some reason I felt like I was at last starting to get to the heart of all his fragility and uncertainness. "The truth is I don't really deserve it. Maybe I did at first, but… I think Suzaku must know that, too. Maybe that's why my powers don't work all the time, except for being able to sense people."

I wanted to assure him that it had more to do with his age than his worthiness, but I didn't know how to explain that without revealing that I was a miko's descendant who knew all sorts of neat things about his previous incarnation and the incarnations of the other seishi. Call me crazy, but that was a bag of worms I did _not_ want to open up, especially on a night like this. So instead I just said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get the hang of them eventually. And it's not like that ki-sensing thing hasn't been a huge help already, you know."

A random thought bounced into my head, and for once it seemed like a question that _wouldn't_ make him run out of the shrine crying, so I decided to go ahead and ask it. "Nee, Chi – uh, Ren-kun? If you can sense life forces all the time, why the heck didn't you duck when Chiro-san chucked that baseball at you?"

He looked up at my question, eyes wide and blinking up and down, up and down, like he'd gotten an eyelash in them or something. I swear he did that for a full minute before he finally said, almost blankly, with all the comedic timing of a practiced professional playing the straight-man: "Baseballs don't have life forces, Mikako-dono."

I felt my jaw drop and my eyes narrow, and I don't know if my expression was all that ridiculous or if it was just the sheer silliness of the moment itself, but out of absolutely _nowhere_ Ren started to smile, and then giggle, and then _bam_, just like that, he was _laughing_, actually laughing, with his forehead leaning against his knee and his face turned towards me and all his self-consciousness and shame gone, forgotten in the hilarity of my stupidity. And in that moment, I realized, with that sort of glow-in-the-chest warmth that you always read about, that he was the sweetest, most adorable little human being I'd ever met, and that if I could just keep making this moment happen again and again, if I could just keep protecting that smile and that genuinely innocent laughter from the harshness of his life, then my job as his miko – as _his_ miko – was more than a success.

Of course, there were still the _other_ seishi to think about…

But bugger it, I'd worry about them later, I decided as I finally broke down and started laughing with him. It really was too stupid _not_ to be funny.

When the two of his had finally finished chuckling, Ren of course had to nearly ruin the moment by glancing down and murmuring, "Moushi wake arimasen, Mikako-dono. I… forgot myself, for a moment. It was very disrespectful of me."

"Don't you dare apologize for that ever again." It was an order, but my voice was pleased. Almost protective, even, like a big sister scolding her little brother. "And while we're at it, stop calling me 'dono' and using all this crazy-polite language. It makes me feel like I should be carried around on a palanquin, writing bad haiku to my lord or something. Just… pretend I'm a classmate, and talk to me like you'd normally talk to a classmate."

"Hai, Mika…san. Sumimasen."

"And stop apologizing!" I scolded again, so hard this time that he kind of winced. "You don't need to be sorry for something unless it's something you actually need to be sorry _for_!" I paused for a second to see if that had made any sense whatsoever, then gave up and pushed forward. "Look, right before you say 'I'm sorry,' think to yourself, 'Did I _really_ do something wrong?' If you did, then apologize. If you didn't, then just say…"

'_Oh, no, Mikako, you really shouldn't.'_

'_But it's sooooo perfect…'_

Angel-Mika and Devil-Mika waged a mini-battle on my shoulders, before Devil-Mika finally jabbed her pitchfork into Angel-Mika's side, temporarily silencing her so I could turn to Ren with an impish grin. "Just say, 'no da.'"

"Eh?" He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Why would I say something like that?"

"Because it's cute."

"It's meaningless."

_Oh, sweatdrop, where are you when I need you?_

"I think I liked it better when you were treating me like a lady in a palanquin," I grumbled into my knees.

Ren frowned and rubbed at his nose. "Sumimasen, Mika-san – I mean, er… never mind."

Oh, hell, I couldn't be mad at him when he looked like that. It was all I could do not to throw my arms around his neck and strangle-glomp him into oblivion. In an effort to calm my motherly (read: fangirl) instincts I stood up, shaking my head and reaching a hand down to help my youngest seishi to his feet. "Mattaku! I give up! We'll work on the apologizing thing later, okay, Ren-kun?" He took my hand, brightening even more when I used his real name. Maybe it made it easier for him to think of me as a friend instead of a miko when I did that. "Anyway, you still haven't eaten dinner yet, so let's head back to the kitchens and see if the cooks won't make something special for us."

"Oh… dinner…"

I smiled. "Shinpai shinaide yo! I'll make sure that Koutei-Baka stays out of your way. And if you do see him, why, you have your humble miko's blessing to wallop him just as hard as you want, right across that big, fat, stupid, thick skull of his! Fair?"

Ren released his hold on my hand, looking down and striding across the room towards the lit lamps that speckled the chamber. "Thank you for very much for looking out for me, Mika-san, but it's really all right. I was upset, but I don't _blame_ him for what he said."

"How could you _not_?" I argued, blowing out a lantern on my own side of the room and moving on to the next one, so that the two of us would meet right back at the main doors of the shrine.

_Poof, poof, poof_! Three lamps down. "Because he's the emperor. I'm sure he's been surrounded by nothing but beautiful things his entire life."

_Poof, poof!_ Out went two more lamps. "So?" I retorted with my usual level of eloquence.

"So… when someone like that… sees someone like me… it's a little, well… _horrifying_, I suppose."

_Poof_! We met back in the middle, in the shadows of the darkened room, so I couldn't see his face anymore, but the sound in his voice was the sound from earlier, the one that said he was looking down at the ground, and frowning. The one that said that, deep down, he didn't really think his life was worth anything at all.

Something thick caught at the back of my throat, and without really thinking about it I took a step forward and threw my arms around his silhouette, hugging his skinny little frame about as close to my body as I could get him.

"Mi…ka…san…?"

I fought back that thickness in my chest, though I honestly couldn't tell if it was rage at the emperor or sympathy for Ren that was making it so hard for me to speak. There were about a thousand things I wanted to tell him, a lot of them about his previous incarnation, who I'd always liked if never _liked_, if that makes any sense… but it was all too confusing, and anyway I couldn't get the words to come out right. Something about happiness and guilt, and being beautiful on the inside, but in my head I knew it was going to come out cheesy, like something from a bad movie script, and if it came out like that then it wouldn't mean a thing.

So in the end, I hugged him without really saying anything, and when I finally let go all I did was smile and say, sort of teasingly, "You know, we're really gonna have to work on that self-confidence of yours. One of my rules is that my seishi be as confident as I am – and _I_ think I'm a drop-dead gorgeous genius, lusted after by sensualists and scholars alike, so you've got a long way to go, Ren-kun."

It wasn't much, but I got another little smile out of him, so I guess that counts for something. We spent the rest of the trip back to the main buildings in silence, until we reached the kitchens to find Joumi standing outside the door, leaning against the promenade's railing and looking particularly sweet. She walked forward, all smiles to Ren, and urged him to head into the kitchens, where she already had a hot meal going. I wanted to join him, but there was a look in her eyes that told me my dinner was going to have to wait, so I asked him to go on ahead.

As soon as the door clattered shut behind him Joumi turned to me, speaking low. "We spoke to my brother about his behavior. He is contrite, I assure you. It is just… he acts very much like a child sometimes, as you know…"

I snorted. "There are _nice_ kids too, Joumi-senpai."

She went on as if she hadn't heard me. "He awaits you in his chambers. I will not ask you to go to him. However, I strongly hope that you do. I told you before, Mika-chan, that I truly believe you can help my brother. I still believe that. I pray that your return to Konan means that, somewhere inside of you, _you_ believe it as well."

To her extreme surprise – and maybe to mine, too – I said, "That's fine. I was planning on doing that, actually." And I _had _been planning on it, just… not right at that moment. Oh, well. No time like the present, as they say. "I have a few things that I need to talk to him about, things I've been thinking about for the last couple days. And I still need to yell at him about earlier."

She nodded, and I thought I caught one of those sweet smiles of hers, the hopeful ones that she liked to wear whenever she was talking about her brother. "Thank you so much, Mika-chan. I shall keep Chichiri-kun company for you."

I had a sneaking suspicion that she was getting the better half of this trade, but saying that wasn't going to do me any good, so I waved my good-byes and marched off down the palace walkway, using my memory to see if I could find the emperor's quarters again. And of course, as I walked, I planned out the sort of things I'd be talking to him about. I even made a point to leave spaces for the spots where I might get mad and start throwing potted plants at him. It's always important to do that, I figure, especially when speaking with spoiled brats.

Knowing_ that_ Koutei-baka, I was going to need to leave room for a whole _army_ of those moments.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Hajimemashite – How do you do?  
Yabbai – 'Oh no,' 'Aw crap,' 'Oh man,' etc.  
_samsara _– actually a term borrowed from India, it refers to the karmic cycle of life, death, and rebirth  
_Namu Suzaku no Aware _– A sort of play off of the traditional nembutsu mantra of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism (_Namu amida butsu)_, it loosely means "I trust in the compassion of Suzaku"  
Betsu ni – Not really  
Mattaku – 'Geez!' 'For heaven's sake!' etc.  
Shinpai shinaide yo! – Don't worry!

**Suzaku Shinon:**  
I had a whole lot of fun developing Ren's religion in this chapter. Long story short, it's based on Amitabha Buddhism, but with the final goal being an eventual Heaven instead of a Nirvana. I'll leave it at that for now, but if you _really_ want all the philosophical details of Suzaku Shinon, feel free to PM me. :-) A big thanks to buddhistfaithtripod . com for supplying me with the template for the prayer that shows up in this chapter!

**Author's Note: 2/22/08**  
Hi everyone!  
Wow, it looks like I managed to get this one out fairly quickly! I have no idea how I pulled that off, but… probably, I'll credit it to the snow days we've been getting this semester. As sick as I am of winter, I do have to thank it for these chances to catch up – on both homework _and_ fanfiction:-)

So what did everyone think of this chapter? I really wanted to explain a little more about Ren/Chichiri this time around, but there's actually a lot in his back story, so I didn't even scratch this surface with this chapter! Some of it he's willing to talk about, of course, which is what Mika gets in this chapter. As for the other stuff… well, I suppose it'll all come to light one way or another, won't it? Keep trying, Mikako! You'll help your seishi yet!

Thanks to inuphantom13, Ayriel, MagicAnimeGirl, Lady Seiryu, Ane-san, and Amaya-san for reviewing! I hope to hear from you all again this time, too!

Next Time: Mikako at last confronts the much-despised Hotohori. Are the potted plants doomed to fly? And – the miko heads off to track down her fifth seishi! But she's not going alone… which means that getting there might just be the hardest part of all! See you next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	18. Small Victories

**Author's Note: **Um, for anyone with sensitive ears (or eyes, really), I guess I should warn you that, thanks to the introduction of a couple of characters, the language gets a little… rough from this chapter onwards. As in, "F" bombs are getting tossed around like free T-shirts at a basketball game. I'm keeping the story rated "T" because there isn't really anything _else_ in here that's particularly offensive, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up before we got into this.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Small Victories (But at This Point, I'll Take What I Can Get)  
**I was halfway to Hotohori's bedchamber when a voice from the shadows made me practically jump out of my sandals. I whirled on the call of "Oi," hands up in what I thought looked like a defensive fighting stance but probably just looked like a kid trying to shield her face right before her friends shot her with water pistols. I didn't have very long to look silly, though, because as I turned the voice from the shadows came _out_ of the shadows, and there was a very familiar body to go with it.

"Oh," I said flatly, my hands dropping back to my sides. "It's you, Riki."

"Always good to see you, too," he replied sarcastically. "What'd you _think_ I was?"

"A demon." I smirked. "So I guess I was right too, huh?"

He scowled and swung his arms over the edge of the promenade, looking away. "You been out with that Ren kid a long time, huh?" I shrugged. "Awful friendly with him, aren't you?"

I grinned. "Ya jealous?"

"Ch! Do I _look_ like a pedophile to you?" Riki snaked a look at me out of the corner of his eye and smirked, crossing his hands over his chest. "But maybe you're just thinking that 'cause that's what _you're_ into. Little sad, doncha think? I mean it'd be one thing if he _looked_ fifteen, but as it is you're practically hitting on a preteen. But then again, with a chest as flat as _that_ I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd be lookin' for someone even less developed that _you – _ow!"

He rubbed hard at his just-kicked shin and I scowled at him. "You're pleasant as ever. And not that it's any of your business, but _no_, I don't think of Ren like that. It's just…" I frowned, setting my elbows on the walkway's railing and my chin in my hands. "I feel like I need to look out for him. He doesn't have anyone else who can. You, Hotohori, Nuriko, you've all got someone around who can keep you from getting too… _you_-ish… but poor Ren's all alone out there. It's just… really sad, is all…"

"You think I need someone to look out for me?"

"Oh, always," I agreed with a little wave of my hand. "If Chiro-san weren't around you'd be stealing wheelchairs out from under grannies for certain."

I didn't mean it, of course, and I think Riki knew that, because he swung his arms over the banister and changed the subject. "So you going to bed now or something?"

"No, I've got a Hell Date with the Emperor," I explained with a strained smile. "You?"

"On my way back to the shop, actually," he said, and I felt all the stuff in my chest sink when he said it. After all that – after going all the way out there to bring him back, apologizing to him, _pleading _with him, even – he was still going to ditch us? Was he _really_ that stubborn? The chest-stuff jumped back up again, bringing all kinds of rage with it, and I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought of _that_ spineless idea when he grumbled, "You win."

'_So much for railing on him_,_'_ I thought as my jaw snapped closed again with a surprised _clack_. After struggling for a second, I managed to get it open again long enough to say, "Huh?"

"You win, okay?" he repeated grudgingly, like I'd dragged the words out of him with a harpoon. "All that shit you kept spouting, about helping Konan and doing what's right… it was the cheesiest shit I _ever_ heard, and don't think for a second that I think you've got a rat's chance in a mousetrap factory to pull it off, but…" he kicked at the rail, and I could tell it was taking everything he had just to admit this, "but no matter the odds, _you_ think you can do it. You aren't just spouting BS. You're probably an idiot, but so is everyone else, and you're the first one to pretend like you could actually do something about this hellhole I been living in. So fine. You win. You need me to stand someplace and press my palms together and pretend like I love some god? I'll do it." I tried to get out a 'thank you,' but he cut me off again, like maybe he had to get it all out now or he'd never have the energy to finish. "But I can't be runnin' around keeping your scrawny ass safe while you go seishi-collecting. The shop'd go to hell if I did that. You saw what happened when I was gone for just an afternoon – think of Ko and some stupid cashier trying to keep the place together for _months_. I can't let things go down like that. You understand, right? So…"

He turned to face me at last, offering a closed fist to me. I didn't know quite what to do, but the way he kept holding it out to me I got the feeling I was supposed to accept something from it. I held out my own hand and he dropped a crumpled piece of paper into my open palm. I frowned and smoothed it back, staring down at a phone number. My eyes shot back up to his, but he must have known what I was going to ask because right away he said, "It's for the shop. I might not be there, but whoever _is_ will know how to get a hold of me. You go track down the others, and when you're finished you give me a call, okay? I'll come up to the palace and we'll see if we can't drag Suzaku outta whatever hole he's been hidin' in. Deal?"

I was too shocked to do anything but blink at him for a couple of seconds. Then, like a dimmer light turning on, I felt a slow smile spreading across my face. I didn't want to use the word 'victory,' since I could tell that, deep down, Riki didn't really _believe_ we could summon Suzaku, but this was probably as close as I'd ever get to a loving allegiance from my first seishi. It wasn't perfect, but it was so darn close that it felt just as good. I nodded. "Mm! It's a deal! And thank—"

"Don't," he snapped, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away again. "It'll just make me regret this even more than I'm already going to. Just don't get yourself shot before you find the others, okay? I don't wanna find out I embarrassed myself for no damn reason."

Was I hearing things, or had Riki just – _gasp!_ – expressed _concern_ for my well-being? I decided that I needed to cut this conversation short before I used up all my miracles on him and didn't have any left for the _other_ prat of the evening. I stuck my hands behind my head and grinned at him. "Don't worry, I'll stay safe. I wouldn't dare miss watching you eat all that _delicious_ crow after we succeed in summoning Suzaku."

Riki snorted, but didn't bother to reply. "Violet's driving me back, so I'd better get going before she gets all pissy. I'll see you around, Mika."

"Yeah, same to you!" I called after his retreating back. "Don't get shot by any rifle-toting ninja, and make sure Chiro-san does the same!"

This time he snorted out a real laugh, waving a hand in a backwards farewell as he turned the corner of the promenade and disappeared back to the city. With a flower of warm fuzzies in my chest about the size of the Titanic, I turned on my heel and practically skipped down the walkway, feeling ready for anything, even the Koutei-Baka. Maybe I wouldn't even _need_ the potted plants, I thought with a hopeful little laugh.

I made myself somber up so that I could do this talk properly, and by the time I'd reached his bedchamber I had made myself thoroughly annoyed again. I was even able to knock on the door with all the authority of an angry parent about to give their child a good scolding, and was all prepared to do just that when Hotohori's voice called through the wood, "Please come in."

I turned back the handle and pushed the door inwards, glancing around warily as if I thought he might try to rape-tackle me. (Wow, I think I just coined that. Readers can steal it if they want, though hopefully you'll never have a good reason to use it.) I found my second seishi standing at the far side of the room, though he was walking towards me in a hurry with his hands clasped behind his back. "Oh, Mikako, I'm so pleased that you were able to come tonight! Here," he said, all smiles as he pulled the mystery package from behind his back and held it out to me. "I bought this for you while I was on holiday. Please open it now – I would very much like to see your reaction."

…Okay, _what_?

I stared at him slack-jawed for an awkward eternity, and eventually he noticed enough to frown. "Don't you want it? I bought it especially for you, because I thought it would suit your tastes…"

Still in a state of shock borderlining comatose I reached out and numbly took the package from his hands, untying the string at the top and unfolding the flaps of the outer box. Into my hands tumbled a box marked with kanji I didn't feel like working out, not that there was really a need – it was decorated with a picture of its contents: a chess & checkers set, to be exact.

"I remembered you said how much you enjoyed board games, so I thought I would get this for you," Hotohori explained in an excited hurry. "It's not nearly as interesting as _your_ version, of course, but it has a charm of its own, I think. Oh, and here," he said, pointing towards the picture, "you see, the checkers pieces are in the shapes of the four gods, so there are actually four different sets, and you can play with whichever you choose. I bought it at a market stall on the boardwalk – the man running the shop said the pieces were handcrafted. So it is quite unique…" he trailed off, and at last I looked up to stare at his worried eyes. "Don't you like it?"

I shook the numb out of me and glared at him. "Look, I didn't come here to get souvenirs! You've got some nerve pretending that this is a friendly get-together, after what you did this evening – and after the last time we were together, too! I'm not some chum of yours, you know!"

He wilted, and I could practically _see_ a little tail tuck up between his legs. "You _don't_ like it, do you? I thought for certain it would be a suitable enough gift to make amends…"

"It's got nothing to do with that!" I snapped, but it did nothing to wipe that look of wounded good will off his face, like I'd just taken the olive branch and used it to slap him across the face. I groaned and marched over to the table, slamming the box down onto it. "AAAAGH! _Yes_, okay? I _love_ your gift! It's a _wonderful_ gift, and it's all I can do not to open it up right now and admire all the little pieces and play a round with the first person I see, but _that's not the point_! The point is… er…" I trailed off, because just like that he'd perked up, and that tail I'd envisioned up between his legs started wagging this time. "What now?"

"Did you _want_ to play a game, then? We can, you see. I don't have any appointments for the rest of the night, and we could have drinks while we play – oh, and food, I could order you some food, since you haven't eaten dinner yet, have you? And we shall speak of all the important happenings, for there _must_ be important happenings, now that you have returned to Konan and we have information on the next seishi, and…"

I think my hands must have pressed so hard into the box that they cracked the wood a little bit. What was _with_ this guy? Did he really think he could try that lame seduction trick of his _again_? And acting like everything was normal between us – like some stupid present could make up for all the nasty things he'd said to Ren, and the way he'd treated me the last time we'd been alone…!

I considered chucking the box at his head, and I almost did, but something in his face made me stop. Some kind of childlike sincerity, that I can't really describe except to say that he had that same flushed, sparkly look that Hoshi's little sister used to get when she did something really nice for her big sister and couldn't wait to get a pat on the head for it. I don't want to say it was 'cute,' because it was impossible for me to find _anything_ that prat did cute, but it made me release my grip on the box. I sighed, remembering what Joumi had said before about his naïveté, and I was almost, _almost_ willing to believe her. That didn't excuse his actions of course, but maybe it meant I had to change tactics a little bit. _"When in Rome…"_ as the saying goes.

"Oh fine." I sighed, gesturing weakly towards the table. "Sit down, we'll play a game. But we _talk_ while we play, understand? And it isn't going to be a nice chat, either."

He nodded, not in the least phased by my threat of future scolding, and bustled about making sure everything was comfortable and that I had everything I needed. He did everything with a blend of elegance and excitability, a bizarre mix of a suave, composed Emperor and an eager-to-please child. I had to completely rework my plan, since I'd expected him to be cold and unrelenting right from the get-go. Maybe I _should_ have listened to Joumi a little better, I thought with a confused frown as he handed me a glass of some kind of soda and plunked a bowl of popcorn down between us. We snatched up the pieces – he as the Byakko set, I as the Genbu one – and only after everything was set up and ready to go did I finally start the conversation that I'd planned from the start.

"Listen," I said, all serious, "I came to talk to you about your behavior this evening. You were a complete jerk to Ren-kun, you know. The poor kid was pretty upset about it."

"Yes," he agreed, drooping a little as he slid a piece morosely across the board to kick off the match. "That's what Ane-ue and Yo – Nuriko told me as well. I didn't _intend_ to distress him, it's just that I've never seen anyone who looked so _different_ before. It surprised me. I felt rather sorry for him, and I just wanted to know what could _do_ that to a person."

I slapped a palm against my forehead. "Well that's fine, but there're right ways to ask questions. How could you _not_ know that screeching 'he doesn't even look human' would be a _bad_ idea?"

He blinked at me. "I said _that_?"

"Yes, you said that!" I snapped. "Don't tell me you don't even pay attention to the words that come out of your own mouth!"

He winced like a puppy that'd just gotten his nose rubbed in his own mess. "I didn't realize at the time, no… I was too surprised to really think. But I said _that_? Heavens, no wonder the poor boy ran out of the room. I really must apologize."

"Ya think?" I said with a sarcastic snort. He smacked his hands against the table and jumped to his feet, but I figured out what he was doing before he'd taken more than three steps. My hand flew out, grabbing at the back of his shirt and jerking him back to the table. "Don't apologize _now_, you idiot! He's probably asleep, and even if he isn't there's no way he'll want a surprise visit from _you_. Do it tomorrow at breakfast if you feel that badly about it."

Obedient as ever, he nodded with no small amount of confusion and took his seat again. I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose, feeling a very big headache about to attack. "Mattaku!" I exclaimed. "Have you been living under a _rock_ your entire life? Don't you have the faintest idea how to deal with people?"

But I knew the answer as soon as I said it, because of _course_ he didn't have the faintest idea how to deal with people. He'd been too young to really learn the finer points of social skills before his parents had chucked him into that mental institution, and once he _did_ finally get out of there he was completely closed off from the rest of the nation, kept in a little gilded cage by the nasty efforts of his council and the well-meaning ones of his sister. Everyone he spoke to probably treated him like a god, even if they _did_ look down on him at the same time, so they'd never think to slap him silly when he did something so stupid.

I was still calling 'bull' on Joumi's defense, though. Just because you don't know any better doesn't mean someone can't _teach_ you any better.

"Mikako? It's your turn."

I glanced at the board and slid a piece into another strategic position, then turned my attention back to more important matters. "Listen," I said, "I'm sure Joumi-senpai and Nuriko told you the same thing, but you've got to think before you start talking to people. It'd be one thing if you were just some prat on the street, but you're the _Emperor_. You've got to be able to deal with anyone and everyone, and you'll never be able to do that if you just say the first thing that pops into your head any time something surprises you." I gripped a checkers piece in my hand and slammed it down hard on the board, neatly capturing two of his pieces. "And while we're talking about your imperial duties, you _also_ can't go around expecting everyone to understand what you really mean, or expect them to do whatever you want. You'll never get anything passed through the council if you throw a fit every time you don't get your way."

He knew what I was talking about and flushed, staring down at his hands. "I really _am_ very sorry about all of that… had I realized how adamant you were, I never would have pressed the issue so far."

I snorted. "Don't pull that excuse again. I'm willing to believe that you didn't mean to be rude to Ren-kun, but you knew damn well what you were doing with me. Imperial rape is still rape, you know."

Hotohori jerked back as if I'd burned him. "_Rape_?" he screeched. "Never! I… I _never_! Do you _really_ think that little of me, Mikako? To think that I would…" he pressed one hand to his forehead and the other to his mouth as if the thought made him physically sick. "I wished to seduce you, I will certainly admit to that, though even then I didn't…" but I wouldn't find out where that was going until later, because he changed halfway through and instead said, "Oh, but I never would have done so vile an act as _forced_ myself upon you! When I kissed you, and your lips parted, I thought…" he winced at the memory and I had to fight back a little snicker of revenge. "No girl has ever turned me down, though, you see. So I wasn't entirely certain how to know if you were teasing me or not. But I never, _never_…"

He was actually turning a little green, now, and because I didn't want Emperor-vomit on my nice new checkers set I waved a hand, saying in a hurry, "Okay, okay, I believe you. But I don't know how I could've made it _more_ obvious."

Hotohori apologized again and jumped one of my checkers pieces. I hid a smirk, because he was taking my bait perfectly, and turned the conversation in the direction I'd really wanted it to go. "What this keeps telling _me_, though, is that you don't have the slightest idea how life works in the real world. And as both the Emperor of Konan _and_ as my seishi, I just can't let that slide. Summoning Suzaku will help this place a whole lot, but _you've_ got to start taking the right steps towards making those miracles happen too."

"But what can _I_ do?" he said with an edge of a whine. "Every time I try to make changes, that bloody Council just ignores me."

I snatched up another of his pieces, clutching it in my hand as I pointed accusingly at him. "Excuses are for people who're too lazy to change things. Who chooses your Council members? They've got to get picked _somehow_."

"Oh… well, each is from a different province. The people in the province elect their Council members, though the current regime plays such unfair politics that it is nearly impossible for anyone else to run for office."

I tapped my stolen checkers piece on the table, my brain whirring through all of my history classes – my best subject, thankfully – and all the political dramas I'd seen on Digibi. "Well, then what if _you_ picked out some promising politicians, ones who agreed with your ideas, and got them to run?"

"Futile," he assured me drearily. "Have you _seen_ the news reports? I am frequently burned in effigy in some of the more irate provinces."

"Then do something that'll actually make the people _like_ you!" I snapped, snatching up another pair of his pieces with practiced skill. "And king me, while you're at it."

He obliged, watching me with something like hope, or at least the glimmer of it. "But we've already established that I cannot get any laws of importance passed by the Council. How could I—?"

"AGH!" I roared so loudly that he actually jumped out of his chair a little bit. "You're the Emperor, aren't you? You can get on TV once in a while, can't you?"

"Y-yes."

"Then get your face on those news programs and start smoozing with the public!" I demanded. "Tell them how much things suck right now, and how much you _hate_ that they suck right now, and tell them about all the great plans that you've tried to put through that the Council keeps slapping back in your face – and for Kali's sake don't you even _think_ about making your insane war efforts a part of your platform! – and then put forth a series of new plans that will help things, and then show them your favorite politicians that you're supporting with your own enormous piles of money, and then _ask them to vote for them_!" I thumped another piece triumphantly down on the far side of the board. "And _king_ me again, dammit!"

Silence reigned on our little game for a long moment, Hotohori staring up at me as if he wasn't quite sure what I was or how I'd gotten into his room, and wondering if maybe it might not be best to let me leave again before I mussed up the good carpet. Finally, in a very tiny voice, he admitted, "I don't know what the people want from me."

"Then we'll have to find out, won't we?"

"How can we do that?"

I smiled, _tap-tap-tapping_ with another of my filched pieces. "Tell me about this mission I'm supposed to go on to find my fifth seishi."

"W-well…" he began warily, because he really _wasn't_ an idiot when you got right down to it, and already had a pretty good idea of where this was going, "some of Nuriko's sources heard rumors of a seishi in the city of Sou'un, in Kouka Province. It's a rather unfortunate location, I am afraid to say, as the city has been experiencing great problems with terrorists as of late."

"Terrorists?" I repeated, sitting up in my chair.

He nodded gravely, and maybe a little scornfully. "'Freedom fighters,' they call themselves, or sometimes 'revolutionaries,' but there is no denying that they use violent measures to undermine and overthrow our established government. 'The Rekkai,' they call themselves. I suppose one of their members must have a sense of humor."

I didn't get the joke, so I had Hotohori write out the kanji for me on the table. They were both common enough characters, thankfully, so I didn't have to kill myself figuring out their meanings: "severe" or "extreme" for the first one, and "party" or "council" for the second. Extremists calling themselves a legitimate government organization, basically. With that all figured out, I urged Hotohori to go on, so he said, "They've been a thorn in our sides for some time now, but we never gave them any _real_ concern until very recently. While you were away, Mikako, it seems that they staged a genuine takeover of Sou'un. The mayor still lives in his mansion, but he is essentially under house arrest, and possesses no power over these terrorists."

"Aren't the people doing anything about it?"

He shook his head sadly. "Many are afraid, I shouldn't wonder, and a great deal agree with the Rekkai. Sou'un has been in a pitiable state for quite some time. Some rumors say that the Rekkai have even turned things _around_." He almost sounded like he admired them when he said that, but then he shook his head and narrowed his eyes again. "Regardless, they have used illegal methods to obtain their goals, and so they must be stopped. I will not lie to you, Mikako: Nuriko will be accompanying you on this mission as more than your protector. If at all possible, she will also arrest the leader of the Rekkai. But she will explain the details of that to you later. As it is, I assure you that you will be quite safe in her hands. The city is not _dangerous_, as long as you do not openly confront its shadow leaders."

"That's good to know. For a minute I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take you with me."

He paled at that, and didn't even bother to pay attention to where he placed one of his few remaining checkers pieces. "Oh… so… then you really _do_ plan to…?"

"Absolutely. If you ever want to be a worthwhile emperor then you've got to see the real parts of your nation, and not just the parts your advisors let you see."

"Y-yes, but…" he said, timidly stealing a piece from me, not that it really mattered at this point. "I _did_ mention to you that 'burning in effigy' problem I often encounter, didn't I?"

I waved away his protest. "Oh, don't worry about _that_. We'll figure out a good disguise for you tomorrow. In the meantime," I reached forward, snatched up one of my kings, and _hop-hop-hop_, defeated his last trio in one slick move, "this game belongs to me."

oOo

My conversation ended with our checkers game, so I excused myself and headed to bed. That was the _plan_, anyway, but on my way out the door Hotohori caught hold of my sleeve and very quietly, _very_ fearfully, asked if I wouldn't mind staying the night. I brought up a hand to smack him, convinced that I'd lectured for absolutely nothing, but he jerked away and hurriedly explained, "Oh, no, it's nothing like that, I quite assure you! I do not want to _do_ anything with you – I don't think I would survive such an encounter, quite frankly – it's just… ah…"

And then I remembered his medicine, and figured out what he was getting at. "Just take your second pill and you won't have any problems, right?"

_That_ caught his attention. Apparently Joumi hadn't mentioned to him that I knew his little secret. He looked away, about as embarrassed as I'd ever seen him, but explained in a whisper that, if he was really coming with me tomorrow then he wanted to be _himself_ in the morning. The pills always left him off-kilter, he said, and he never knew what kind of personality he'd have, and he really hated that. I still kind of wanted to smack him, but he looked really pitiful, too, and it just took all the energy out of my anger. So I grudgingly agreed to a sleepover, though I wouldn't set foot in the bed until he'd mounted a wall of pillows between us.

Sitting there in the half-dark, with the moon coming in through the window, and a man essentially right next to me with absolutely _no_ desire to seduce me that night, I got struck with a weird realization. "Hey…" I called through the pillow-wall. "That first time, when you tried to get me in bed… did you really want to have sex with me, or did you just not want to be alone _that_ time, too?"

I heard him sigh on the other side. "The second one," he admitted miserably. "Because I knew that the next day would be so very busy, with our needing to plan our strategies for finding the seishi, and I wanted to be entirely in my right mind when that time came about. Only I was far too ashamed to _ever_ admit to you my true reasons, so… I just thought… N-not that you aren't very lovely, Mikako, and not to say that I _wouldn't_ accept your company if you condescended to grant it to me…" He must've had enough sense to realize that he was digging himself into all sorts of holes, because he trailed off and finished meekly, "I apologize."

"Oh, shut up and go to sleep," I grumbled, though not with as much menace as I might have done before. "You're starting to sound like Ren-kun."

oOo

"Absolutely _NOT_!"

That was, thankfully, not how my morning _started_, but it was where the important part of the morning started, the part that got my head aching right between my eyes and just started to spread out more and more as the hours passed.

It started for real when Nuriko knocked on Hotohori's door and he answered with me stumbling groggily out behind him. Our door-knocker didn't look very pleased at the sight of the two of us together, but she was quiet as always and didn't ask any questions. In fact, she didn't say a _word_, just led us to breakfast until finally halfway through the meal (and after Hotohori and Ren had stopped their little Apology Festival to each other) I asked for some details and got the usual short-sentence explanation:

"I have spoken with some friends who have done us a great favor. We are scheduled to take a three PM flight from Eiyou International this evening. It is not a long flight. We will arrive in Sou'un at approximately four-thirty PM. I have made reservations at a modest hotel in the area, though we may not need to use it. In addition to searching for the reported seishi, I shall be infiltrating Rekkai headquarters as a hopeful new member of their faction. Once there, I shall learn of the leader's identity and whereabouts, and ensure his capture or, if capture is impossible, his assassination. Neither you nor Ren need to worry about these events. They will not affect your task."

"I suppose Hotohori won't have to worry about it, either?"

She stared at me, so I explained that our resident emperor would be coming along, too. Nuriko didn't look too pleased, and neither did Joumi for that matter, but I'll give Hotohori credit – he agreed with the plan, stood up to her and everything, so eventually she just nodded and excused herself, saying she needed to get us another seat on the airplane. Hotohori tried to stop her with a, "Why not simply take my private jet?" but Nuriko explained the obvious need for secrecy and going incognito and all that, so she left, we finished breakfast, and went on to Operation: Disguise the Koutei-Baka.

And that's when we get back to the screech that began my morning.

I followed Hotohori out of his bedroom with a pair of scissors in one hand and the other one on my hip, glaring at him. "Would you _calm down_? It's just hair."

"No, I refuse, do you understand Mikako? I will not allow you to come an inch closer with those things!"

"Well what do you_ expect_ me to do, then? You've got to stop looking like the Emperor if you want to walk into Sou'un safely." I clacked the scissors open and shut in my hand and he winced, taking scared little steps back towards the entryway. "Would you stop? You're acting like a baby."

"I _can't_ do this, Mikako, I simply _can not_!"

I think we went back and forth like that for another five _hours_ or something, with me half-chasing him around the couch and Joumi and Ren sitting between us, blinking and watching the little game with wide, puzzled eyes. Finally, just when I was about to fling the scissors across the room shuriken-style so I could get him to stop moving for two seconds, Joumi murmured from the couch, "Surely there is some kind of alternative to this, Mika-chan?"

"Yeah," I said with a snap, "he can either suck it up and part with some of his precious locks, or he can put on a dress and go to Sou'un as a woman. Our flight leaves in three hours, we don't have time to screw around about this, so pick out of those two you _stubborn baby_ so we can all _move on with this stupid trip_!"

Hotohori's jaw tightened. "Get the dress."

The cliché _'silent as the grave' _doesn't even _begin_ to describe how quiet that room got. Ren kept jerking his head back and forth between the three of us, trying to figure out what had just happened and maybe why he was even hearing this in the first place, and Hotohori kept glaring at me with that same stubborn fire in his beady little eyes, and there I was, staring back at him slack-jawed, unable to even _think_ a real sentence until, finally and again, Joumi's peace-making practicality came to rescue.

"As… interesting of an option as that is, I should hardly think it necessary. Some of the harem girls bleach their hair, and I understand that it is a fairly simple process." She smiled and nodded, standing and gesturing towards me. "Yes, I shall fetch Yukino-san and have her attend to my brother. Mika-chan, care to come with me?"

I nodded dumbly, pretty sure there was some drool trailing out of my mouth at this point, and followed her out of the room. She closed the door behind us and offered me a strained smile. "I do apologize for this. However I assure you that Toku's reasons are not as foolish as you may believe."

That got me back to reality. "I'm thinking…" I said sarcastically as I trailed behind her down the walkway, "oh, I don't know… _impossible vanity the likes of which mere mortals have never before encountered_? Like _Godzilla­­_-sized vanity? Like go-in-a-corner-and-cry-about-split-ends vanity? Is that the reason we're talking about, Senpai? Because I'm pretty darn sure there's no other way to explain this!" I scowled, glaring at the scissors still clasped in my hand. "And he'd been so not-a-prig last night, too…"

"It's nothing like that, Mika-chan, I assure you. It is just…" Joumi sighed, clenching her hands at her waist. "Well, when father sent him to the… institution… they have a policy where they cut the hair of all incoming patients. For health reasons, I suppose. He had to keep it buzzed to his scalp his entire stay there. He wouldn't even look at a pair of scissors for nearly two years after he was discharged, and even now he insists on keeping it long. I think… I know it is a _bit_ silly, Mika-chan, but I think there are certain things that force him to relive those awful years, and they are really quite traumatic for him. This is simply one of those things."

I sighed and rubbed at my nose. Oh, boy, the headache was getting worse. "Well, that's fine, but it's been _five years_, Joumi-senpai. He'll never be able to grow up and move on if he keeps hiding from the things that make him think of all the bad times. I'm letting this one slide because I don't have the time to go back there and strap him to a chair or anything, but you can't baby him so much anymore, okay?"

"I am sure that you are right, Mika-chan. I have no talent for being harsh with anyone, I fear."

"Well, do your best to stay tough with the Council while we're gone, okay?" I said with a crooked smile, because I really _did_ have a hard time staying mad at Joumi. It really wasn't her fault that she didn't have a bossy bone in her body. "You sure you don't mind taking care of things? I know it's got to be a hassle for you, and I wouldn't have dragged Hotohori off again if I could've helped it, but I really think this'll be good for him. As a seishi _and_ as an emperor."

"That is quite all right, I assure you. I will be able to handle the Council for a brief time. Please focus on aiding my brother and finding the other seishi, and…"

Joumi paused suddenly, pressing one hand to her forehead and the other to the walkway's railing. I frowned and set a hand against her shoulder, surprised at how pale her face looked. "Joumi-senpai? Doshita no?"

"Ah…" she closed her eyes tight, then shook her head a little and opened them again, smiling at me. "Oh, it is nothing, I assure you. I have been a bit overworked these past few days, that is all. I promise that I shall take better care of myself in the coming weeks, though, so none of you need worry about me while you are away. Now," she said, changing the subject in a hurry and covering her mouth as she giggled, "shall we see if Yukino-san can work a little magic on my brother?"

I'll spare everyone the details of the rest of that awkward morning. Let's just say there was a lot of cursing, a lot of awful smells, some complaints about a burning scalp, a frantic argument about just _how_ light we should let the guy's hair get, another frantic argument about what we should do about his darkened roots, and more than a few whining words shed from both Hotohori and Yukino-san over the loss of his "elegant beauty."

Sometimes I wish I could spare my _memory _the details of that awkward morning, actually.

At any rate, one way or another we got our suitcases packed and our blonde Koutei-Baka under control, hopped into Nuriko's car, and took off for the airport. On the way we figured out our cover stories for when we reached Sou'un: Nuriko would be "Arisa," a disenchanted former soldier who was looking to help The Cause. She and Hotohori looked enough alike that we decided to pass him off as her cousin "Sai" (my idea, of course). I was her late husband's little sister, and Ren was my boyfriend, an idea that made him blush and apologize so much for 'not deserving the honor' that we gave up and decided to make him my childhood friend instead.

The plane ride wasn't much better. Hotohori had never been on a public plane before, and Ren had never been on a plane _period_, so you can guess how much fun it was to sit between _those_ two.

"Oh, Mikako-san! Something just happened to my ears!"

"They popped 'cause of the change in air pressure. Try swallowing a couple times."

"Well they certainly don't provide you with much leg room on these airplanes, do they? But then again I suppose the masses are accustomed to cramped conditions, so this might actually seem quite spacious. I should approach this with a more open mind, then."

"Mikako-san, Mikako-san! Is that a… oh, wow! Those are sheep, aren't they? They look like little toys from up here…!"

"Nu – Arisa, what do you suppose these little nozzles do?"

"That's for the personal air conditioning, sir."

"Personal…? Well, that's rather thoughtful! The proletariats _do_ think of the most helpful little inventions, don't they?"

And so on, with the headache building and building, though I was pretty sure my whole skull was just going to crack in half when we hit a rough patch of air and both Hotohori and Ren jumped up with almost identical cries of:

"Oh gods, we're going to crash!"

I'd have sunk into the ground if we hadn't been miles above it.

Somehow, against every ounce of logic, we made it to the Sou'un airport without any unfortunate suicides or murders, and only one ridiculous bathroom issue that I can't even talk about _now_ without getting flustered, so we'll leave it at that and finally get to our new city, and our next mission.

oOo

"So this is Sou'un, huh?" I murmured, glancing up at the two-story buildings, some brick and some wood, with their red tiled roofs shaped like upside-down, stick-figure flying birds. Every once in a while a shiny steel office tower would poke up out of the cluster, and I could see a clump of them at the center of the city, but overall it had a very old-fashioned, traditional feel to it that I have to admit I sort of liked. The banners and balloon lanterns dangling from doorways of shops and restaurants, with their masters and mistresses leaning out of the window and calling out prices and bargains; kids darting past playing onigokko ("tag," as Hoshi's mum calls it); couples hanging on each other's arms, pointing out products and haggling with the owner… it had a really lively, cheerful atmosphere to it, not at all what you'd think when you thought 'city run by terrorists.' I watched a teenager on a bicycle swing by, nodding and winking at me as he rode past, and couldn't help but smile back at him. "Are you guys _sure_ this is the right place?"

Nuriko nodded. "The takeover has only been particularly damaging at the center of the city, and even there they took great pains to keep the general public out of harm's way."

I frowned and waited for more, but Nuriko was as Nuriko-like as usual, so I didn't get anything else. I instead turned my attention to Hotohori long enough to tweak his ear when I saw him ogling the buildings. "You're drooling, you know."

"Mm? Oh, I apologize Mikako, it is only that," he glanced around nervously, then leaned in and whispered – as if anyone was paying attention to us – "I have never seen a public thoroughfare like this before. It is exactly as they portray it on television. Fascinating. I should very much enjoy attempting this… bargaining, don't they call it? only it would be rather unfair for me to try lowering the price when it is _already _so terribly low."

I gritted my teeth and threw an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close so that we could talk without me having to whisper over the street noise. "Listen, Ho – Sai-san? How about you spend this trip being the incredibly shy, untalkative cousin, okay? Because I swear if you make any more comments like that our 'middle class' cover will get blown, and there's a real good chance someone will decide to try burning the _real _you instead of just a photo of you."

He winced and kept his mouth shut after that, and even tried to stop staring at people. So we passed the rest of our walk in peace, with Nuriko pausing every once in a while to ask a few casual questions about the government and the general location of different sights in the city. Ren, back to his usual self now that we were on solid ground again, chatted with me pleasantly enough, though I kept getting the feeling he was bothered about something. I didn't let it worry me too much, though – Ren _always_ acted like he was bothered about something, after all.

Just as we were starting to get into a residential district, Nuriko came back from speaking with a man at a clothing store and nodding, pointing towards the skyscrapers at the center of the city. "We need to head to the downtown district. We will take the subway to get there."

As always I wanted more information, and as always Nuriko didn't supply it. So on we went, piling into a subway, dragging Hotohori through this "novel idea!" as we went. Six stops later and we hit the downtown district and began the very long process of weaving our way through the tinier, much older streets and the packed, modern office and apartment buildings, Nuriko asking questions the entire way. The city was about as dirty as Eiyou, but the people seemed a little bit happier, so I decided that I didn't mind inner city Sou'un so much, and even started to enjoy myself a little until – surprise, surprise – we turned down a quiet alleyway and _blam!_ a gunshot ricocheted off the building to our right.

Hotohori shouted something very ungentlemanly and I jumped about a mile in the air, both of us immediately seeking shelter behind Nuriko's imposing – and hopefully gun-toting, since I really doubted the sword at her side would be much use here – form. I heard Ren fall into step behind me, and at first thought he was hiding too until I heard the _swish_ of his butterfly knives and knew that he was guarding our backs. Man, I could really get to love this kid.

"Don't move," someone called from the shadows. "Ain't no one tryin' t'die t'day, but 'at don't mean ain't no one _gon' _die t'day neither, 'specially if Sword Lady gets t'feelin' heroic."

I didn't mean to, but I think I kind of winced. His accent was indescribable, like an American from the Bronx who moved to Japan and decided to learn the language from a low-level yakuza in Oosaka. I had a sudden, terrible urge to sing songs from _My Fair Lady_, and cursed Hoshi's crazy hobbies for putting the music into my head in the first place.

"What is the meaning of this?" Nuriko asked, calm as ever. "We've done nothing to cause you harm."

"I got a com up in Nanfu." I was finally able to pin the voice to someone standing in a stoop a few feet away from us, though I couldn't be sure if he had any friends lurking with him, too. "He hearin' some crazy shit, 'bout these outta-towners soundin' like maybe they lookin' f'trouble. So he calls me up an' he tells me t'keep my eyes open, an' whadda ya know? Same fuckin' nosy bastards show up on my turf th' same fuckin' day. Now ain't that jus' some kinda coincidence?"

"_Your_ turf?" a second, impatient voice joined in from behind him. "The _fuck_, Ken?"

"I assure you that my questions were not intended to cause trouble," Nuriko explained over the second stranger's cursing. "In fact, I was _hoping _to draw attention to myself. It was my wish to offer my services to the Rekkai. Am I correct in assuming that I currently have the privilege of speaking to the very leader of this esteemed group?"

'_And the Oscar goes to…'_ I thought with a little inner smile, still peering into the shadows to see if I could get a good look at this guy – or rather, these guys – we were talking to.

"Ch! You still gotta _ask_?" the first said sarcastically. "Hell yeah you talkin' t'the Rekkai leader, an'—"

"'Ey, fuck you too motherf—!"

I didn't hear the rest because it got drowned out over the sound of a loud smack, some more cursing on both sides, and all kinds of banging and scuffling noises. I had just decided that the Rekkai leader was going to get _himself_ assassinated and spare Nuriko all the work of capture and interrogation when, with another round of bangs and "ouch!"s, the shadows on the stoop lost their balance and went tumbling down the stairs in a pile of curses.

Nuriko's hand flew to the back of her jacket and whipped out her gun, but she had barely clicked off the safety when the two on the ground broke apart, one rolling off and behind his friend and the other coming up on one knee, a silver gun glinting between his hands and his bright, amber eyes glaring out at us from under a mop of messy, red-dyed bangs.

"Put th' fuckin' gun _down_, bitch! Jus' 'cause this stupid mu'fucker b'hind me 'cided t'get cute don't mean I ain't ready t' blast yo' fuckin' ass all over this fuckin' alley!"

I felt my knees shudder beneath me and my head get a little swimmy. Oh, I'd known it was coming, deep down inside I think I'd just _known_ it was coming, but that didn't make it any less ridiculous when it finally happened. I pressed my hand into Hotohori's arm to steady myself and felt a tiny, disbelieving giggle escape my throat.

'_Oh gods,' _I thought, because I couldn't dare say it out loud with that gun barrel pointed at my chest, _'Tasuki's a terrorist.'_

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Mattaku – For heaven's sake; geez; etc.  
"Doshita no?" – "What's wrong?"

**Names Explained!  
**Rekkai (烈会) – "Severe (or Extreme) Council." I'm actually quite proud of this one, because the kanji used for Reikaku (厲閣) mean "Severe Council-Chamber" and I wanted the new gang name to have ties with the old one in _meaning_ but not in actual _kanji_. Better still, the first kanji in Rekkai (烈) is also the first kanji in the word "Rekka," as in "Rekka Shin'en." So I was really just tickled to death when I was able to make this work! :-)  
Kouka (皎河) Province – Shining/White River Province  
Nanfu (南府) – South Borough (a district in Sou'un)  
Sou'un – this is the name of the city that sits at the base of Mount Reikaku. It's featured in _Genrou Den_, but I don't actually own that gaiden novel so I'm not sure what kanji it uses.

**Author's Note: 4/10/08**

Hi everyone!  
This chapter's a little late, but to be fair it's also the longest-running chapter to date (I'm pretty sure). I really wanted to get back to the action, so I decided not to let this one end until we got an introduction to Seishi Number Five. And what an introduction it was! I hope everyone's not _too_ shocked at our new Tasuki – though I guess we haven't really met him yet, huh? Plenty more on him in the next one! Oh, and extra credit points if you know who his friend is! (Haha, easy points, aren't they?)

Thanks to MagicAnimeGirl, Ane-san, inuphantom13, KittyLynne, and sparky-chan123 for reviewing! I really appreciate all your comments… but hey, where'd everyone else go? If I don't get critiques than I'll never get better, so even if you didn't really like the chapter please don't hesitate to review! I like criticism too, I swear. :-)

Next time: Mika-tachi get acquainted with their fifth seishi! Will the meeting be blissful or bloody? And what's this? Ren's got a secret, too? See you all again soon – AND ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK! NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, WOO!

(Haha, you can guess what _I've_ been occupied with these past few weeks!)

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	19. Revolutionaries

**Author's Note: **A fun drinking game to play with this chapter: take a shot every time Tasuki or Ken drops an F-bomb. The lucky few might make it past the first three pages… but I wouldn't bet on it.

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Revolutionaries (See Also: Terrorists)  
**So there we were, two of my seishi holding each other at gunpoint – not the first _or_ the last time that would happen, I'm sad to say – and there was me, hiding behind Nuriko, half-clutching the equally terrified Hotohori for support, and wondering how in the world we were supposed to get out of _this _one.

"Oi, Yuu, ochitzuke zo," the guy behind Redheaded Terrorist said, standing slowly, his own gun pointed at us as a sort of back-up. "I think—"

"Th' _fuck_ you tellin' t'calm down?" he snapped back, eyes and weapon never once wavering from Nuriko's chest. "Fuckin' doin' th' rounds, mindin' my own goddamn bi'ness, next thing I know _you_ dickin' 'round an' this bitch's got a fuckin' hand-cannon pointed at me! Fuckin' tell _me_ t'calm down, I'll—"

"Yuu? Ken?"

I blinked, glancing over my shoulder just in time see Ren poke his head out from behind Hotohori and me, butterfly knives still in his hands but his posture much less ready-for-action than I'd have liked. He peered across the alley at our two opponents – my head whipped around to get a look at them again, and I felt my eyes widen as they both straightened, their weapons lowering slowly and their mouths slack-jawed. "It is you, right?" And _snap!_ back my head went to Ren, now standing out in the open, watching the two boys. My brain attempted to make some sort of connection between his words and what was going on around me, but it couldn't seem to find the right cords.

"Ren?" the one called Ken breathed, his gun dangling harmlessly at his side. "Kanmei… Kanmei Byakuren? Is… 'at…?"

He nodded once, maybe a little shyly. Yuu – or Tasuki, as I was already calling him – actually let his gun slide out of his hand, he was so shocked, and you could sort of see this blend of happiness and guilt and total surprise fighting on his face. "B-but… I thought… I thought fer _sure_ that you… that you were…"

Ren shrugged, again with that same shyness. "I guess I'm not, though."

The two terrorists glanced at each other, then finally seemed to figure out how they wanted to feel about all of this and took off across the clearing, whooping and cheering as they practically tackled Ren to the ground. My youngest seishi hesitated for maybe half a second, so briefly that I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been watching him so close, but then the pair's enthusiasm overwhelmed him and he was talking just as rapidly and excitedly as they were, and laughing – really _laughing_. They exchanged hugs, back-slaps, way-too-complex handshakes, and so many fast and overlapping words that I couldn't pick up anything but a big, ecstatic ball of noise. I saw Nuriko lower her gun out of the corner of my eye, and Hotohori murmured dazedly in my ear, "I had not realized that Ren-kun was a terrorist as well."

I shot him a look that said, _"Please stop talking," _and took a couple steps away from my two seishi and towards the laughing huddle. I didn't really want to interrupt them, though, so I just sort of stood there, halfway between one group and halfway between another, until Ren caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye and pulled away, flashing me a genuine smile as he gestured towards the two taller boys beside him. "Mika-san, this is Yuu and Ken. We… er…" he glanced down, rubbing at his nose, "grew up together, I guess you could say."

"You're from Sou'un?" I asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well I did, sort of. Remember, I said that Tsubaki University was in my home province. Their campus is in Sou'un, so…" he trailed off, wincing as he chanced a glance at me. "I should have been more specific, though. I'm sorry."

I stuck my tongue out at that annoying little word, but before I could say anything else Ken laughed and clapped Ren on the back. "Damn, you ain't changed at _all_, has you? Still sorryin' ever' which way. So who're y' friends, huh? Recruits t'the cause?"

Ren nodded, and I breathed a little sigh of relief, happy that he'd decided to stick to our alibi even if he _did_ know these guys. "Arisa-san," he gestured towards Nuriko, still standing all tense and ready-for-action, "is really talented, and she wants to join up. Sai-san is her cousin." Hotohori smiled weakly, though he never once stepped out from behind Nuriko's protective back. "And this is Mikako-san. She's—" he hesitated, then shot me an apologetic glance and plunged forward with, "well, it's a little hard to believe, but she's the Suzaku no Miko. That's how we found each other, since I'm – well, you know."

For one horrifying second I honestly considered strangling him, but then Ken whistled and grinned. "If you found her, then I know it's gotta be th' real deal. Y' hear 'at, Yuu? We standin' in front-a th' Revolutionary t' end _all_ Revolutionaries. You joinin' us too, Miko-sama?"

"Um, please don't call me that," I said, squirming under a very welcoming but _very_ expectant gaze, almost as if Ken thought I'd pull out a magic wand, turn into Magical Miko-Miko, and make all of Konan's problems disappear in a cloud of bubbles and hearts.

"She's not joining the Rekkai, though she _does_ want to help Konan," Ren explained, covering for my sudden shyness. "Actually, she sensed one of her seishi somewhere in Sou'un, so she came to see if she could find him. I'm sorry to cause trouble, but do you think you two could help her, please?"

I did my best to watch Tasuki without making it _look_ like I was watching him. He rubbed a hand against the sweatband that covered his right forearm, but no one else seemed to notice it, _or_ the fact that he suddenly had this expression on his face like someone was trying to shove a piece of strange-smelling fish down his throat. It wasn't _disgust_, exactly, but definitely reluctance. To be honest, it was better than I'd expected. I had almost thought he'd pull out his gun and 'blast' me right there.

"Will we help th' Miko?" Ken repeated with a laugh. "Whaddaya _think_ we gon' do, Ren – toss our savior's ass out on th' street? I'll talk t' ever' com I got, see if they got any V.I. f' you. 'Till then, you welcome t'stay with us long as you want. Ain't 'at right, Yuu?"

"Rekkai don't take freeloaders," he growled, but it wasn't exactly a _'No.' _Again, better than I'd expected.

"So is these friends _jus'_ friends, 'r we got ourselves s'm seishi runnin' 'round?"

"No, they've just been helping me out," I lied before Ren had a chance to say anything. Just because his judgment had been right on the first truth didn't mean it would be on the second one, and I didn't want to start complicating things by changing up our story any more than he already had. The last thing we needed was for anyone in this city to find out that we were dragging around a bleach-blonde version of the emperor. "When they told me they were going to Sou'un to find the Rekkai, I got this weird feeling like I needed to go there too – like someone was calling me."

"And when I heard that they were coming to Sou'un," Ren finished, thankfully backing up my new thrown-together story, "I thought I'd return with them, so Mika-san and I could look after each other."

"But why'd'ja skip out in th' first place?" my future-Tasuki asked suddenly, with just a hint of accusation under his words. "I mean fuck, Ren, I figgered you was..."

"Sorry," he murmured, glancing away again. "I just… there didn't seem to be any reason to stay, after… all that… so…"

I had about a thousand questions banging around in my head, but one look at the way Ren, Tasuki and Ken were standing and looking-but-not-looking at each other told me that I couldn't start asking them now. Later, one-on-one with one of our new friends, maybe, but not right here. Even knowing that, though, it took about every ounce of self control I had to pull myself away from their secret conversation and say, "Well, it's good to meet you. I'm Kasumiya Mikako."

"Kouho Heiken," said the taller, darker-haired one, flashing me a winning smile. "Ken t'my friends. You c'n make it Ken."

Tasuki rolled his eyes. "Shit," he jeered, though it came out sounding more like _'sheet.' _"Spittin' game at ever' half-track chick who looks yo' way. Ain't no wonder ya damn near got us iced t'day."

"What?" he snapped defensively, whirling on his friend. "Spittin' game nothin', this is what's called manners. Ain't _my_ fault you so _un­_-mannered ya make me look like fuckin' Cassanova." (He actually said Soujun, by the way, but I have no idea who that is so I'm giving a translation). "An' whaddaya mean, gettin' us iced? _You_ jumped _me_!"

"'Cause you hadda start gettin' cute, with 'yo' gang' this and 'yo' turf' that!"

"I 'as tryin' t'protect _you_, aho! You wanna start tellin' ever' wannabe Rekkai – who _by th' way_ could be a fuckin' Imperial taintlick – that you's th' leader? You _lookin'_ t'get yo' ass capped?"

They glared at each other for a minute, Tasuki with this look that said he had lost the argument but didn't want to admit it. I took the brief silence to lean over and ask Ren, "'Spitting game'?"

"Like flirting with someone," he said, his cheeks flashing red again, and I got the feeling that it might be a little less innocent than that.

"And 'half-track'?"

"Oh, 'track' is sort of an abbreviation for 'attractive.' 'Chick' means—"

"I know that one, thanks anyway," I assured him, glancing back up so that someone would finally end the stubborn stand-off going on in front of us. "So what's your name, Fearless Leader-san?"

"Eh? Oh." He broke free of Ken's triumphant smirk and turned to me with a scowl. "It's Yuu. Keishi Yuu."

"Gazundheit," Hotohori said helpfully.

I slapped my hand to my forehead. Tasuki – I didn't even bother trying to think of him as anything else – growled and kicked out at a nearby trashcan. "And _that_ is why I fuckin' _hate_ my family name! Call me Yuu, or Yu-kun, I don' fuckin' care so long's ya keep yo' mouth outta that fuckin' Sneeze Name."

Ken sighed. "Charmin' as ever. Well, you think we oughta be flyin' home? Th' coms're gon' wonder where we skipped off to."

Tasuki glanced warily at Hotohori and Nuriko, _still_ all tense and separated from the rest of us, then turned his eyes to Ren. "Yo' friends cool?"

"Yeah, they're cool."

"A'ight, then let's breeze. I'm gettin' hungry, an' there's still shit t'do t'night."

So, just like that, my two undercover seishi and I were accepted into the Rekkai. I sent a huge thank-you to whatever forces had decided to give me a break for once, and promised them (him? her? it?) that I'd be extra-good for the next couple weeks to pay them back for it. True to my word, I made it a point to drop bills into every outstretched homeless person's hat that we passed on the way back to the Rekkai's base – and considering that it was a long walk in possibly the poorest neighborhood I'd ever seen, that was a pretty good amount of money. Along the way, Nuriko spoke with Tasuki and Ken about the Rekkai, Hotohori – thank God – played the shy cousin, and I grilled Ren on as much Sou'un slang as possible, since at this point I was catching maybe three out of every four words our two guides were using. I learned that "com" meant "friend," "fly" and "breeze" meant "to go somewhere," "ice," "cap," and "red" meant "kill," a "dog" or a "bootlick" (or "taintlick" if you _really_ didn't want to kiss your mother with that mouth) was a corrupt government official, "Tan" meant "money" (turned out that the picture on one of their larger bills was of a guy with the last name "Tan"), plus a lot of others.

My head was spinning a little as Ren explained it to me, and it seemed to me that all this slang was a whole lot of overkill, almost like they were trying to speak a secret code or something. Once I started thinking about it, though, I really couldn't point any fingers at them. After all, how much slang did _I_ use when I was talking with my friends? Heck, half of it I didn't even think of as slang, not until I really _thought_ about it. I gave up on rolling my eyes at their speech patterns and did my best to decode them instead.

As I spoke to Ren, I also took the time to get a good look at our two new companions. Ken was taller than his friend by just a shade, and seemed a couple years older as well, though that might have just been because he had a shorter, neater haircut. He had a laid-back way of walking and a face that looked like it enjoyed smiling and flirting, though he did keep one hand on his gun the whole time. He seemed the better speaker of the two as well, chatting with Nuriko about Sou'un business like he'd known her his whole life.

Tasuki trudged along at his side, one hand in his pocket and the other wrapped around the butt of his gun, his index finger resting near but not exactly _on_ the trigger. His eyes never stayed on one spot of the street for very long – though I wondered how the heck he could see anything around that fluffy mop of red-dyed bangs – and it didn't take me long to figure out that he was on the lookout for anything dangerous. He wasn't _quiet_, exactly, but he did answer Nuriko's questions a lot more carefully than his friend. To be honest, though, watching him really didn't tell me much about him except that he was the leader of a terrorist group that _had_ to be paranoid or they'd be dead. Also, that he wasn't very subtle, but I wouldn't have expected a Tasuki in _any_ incarnation to have delicacy. It would've just been _wrong_.

They were both dressed about the same, in T-shirts and raggedy, too-big jeans, as well as long jackets decorated with the occasional embroidery or patch, and I couldn't help but think of old-school yanki from my home country. Both were much tanner than the rest of my group, probably from a combination of genes and being outdoors a lot, and I wondered if the Sou'un area had a high population of non-Konan Konan-jin, sort of like how the Tuoba or the Mongols were in China. I was about to ask Ren about it, when Tasuki and Ken pulled to a stop, Ken waving a hand towards a rundown, box-shaped brick building in front of us. "Well, here we are!"

I glanced up at it, squinting at the cracked or missing windows on the upper stories, the crumble of stone that used to be stairs leading up to the front door, and the big metal doors sitting on the far side of the building. They were the kind of doors that open upwards, either automatically or with someone pushing from the bottom, so I decided that the place probably used to be some kind of warehouse. Judging from the laundry hanging out of the upper story windows, the lights flickering in some of the rooms, and the big, shiny front door sporting three keyholes, I figured that it must have recently been turned into an apartment-slash-stronghold for the Rekkai and their most faithful.

"Shiny place," I said, using a little slang of my own, and I really did mean it. The building might have been old but it looked clean enough from the outside, and the snippets of voices wafting out of the open windows sounded cheerful enough. I had a feeling the inside would be about the same, if not a little messier – after all, we were talking about a gang run by a pair of what I figured were college-age guys.

Tasuki cocked an eyebrow at my compliment, so I translated it to "it's nice" for him – a word that everyone understands, at least – and he nodded, flashing a proud grin and clambering over the broken stairs towards the door. He turned the handle and it creaked open, revealing a long hallway with peeling paint and cracked linoleum, but again, clean, and with a few rugs and paintings tossed in to give it a cozier feel. "C'mon in. Food oughta be smokin'. We c'n get ourselves s'm grub 'n' figger out what we wants t'do next."

We followed him, Hotohori picking his way daintily and squeaking when he nearly tripped over the rubble-stairs. I saw Ken and Tasuki shoot each other apprehensive looks, and I prayed that they wouldn't decide to kick our 'stupid cousin' out. They must have decided that Ren, Nuriko, and I helped balance out the Koutei-Baka, because Ken reached down to give Hotohori a helping hand, which he took gratefully and kept a death lock on until he was over the threshold. Ken pulled away like he'd been touching something slimy, and I saw him halfway move to wipe his hand on his pants until those 'manners' of his kicked in and he thought better of it. Instead he nodded to Tasuki, who put two fingers in his mouth and blew a sharp whistle through the hallway. Someone yelped, scuffling echoed from one of the rooms, then a door flew open and a boy still pulling on his pants stumbled out of the doorway, dark hair a mess but with an eager look on his sleepy face. "H-hai, Okashira?"

"Rooms f' our new coms."

His gaze shifted from Tasuki to the four of us, and a little frown touched his face. "We've only got the two open ones."

"Huh? Fuck happened t' th' rest of 'em?"

"Okashira and Ken-aniki told us to take in anybody whose home was damaged in the fire yesterday, until we could finish fixing them, so…"

"Fuck, we did do that, di'n't we?" Tasuki grumbled to his partner.

"We," Ken said, nodding seriously, "is too goddamn noble f' our own good."

"Fuckin' saints, is what we is."

They grinned and pounded fists, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. There was something so _not _terrifying in the way they acted, it was kind of funny to think that they were the reason the Council back in Eiyou was practically having a worry-seizure. I mean, seriously, they had to send the captain of the palace guard out to take control of _this_? I glanced over at Nuriko to see if she found the situation as amusing as I did, but she didn't even look at me as she said, unreadable as always, "I'll share a room with my cousin. Mikako and Ren-kun can sleep together."

Ren and I both stared at her, Ren with another of his patented blushed spreading from cheek to cheek, and I guessed that he'd found her statement a little too suggestive as well. To be honest, though, I could deal with the Rekkai leaders thinking Ren and I were – what was the term Ren had blushingly explained to me? – "sipping the sweet juice from each other" (there were others, too, but I'll use the nicest one for everyone's sakes) if it meant neither of us had to room with Hotohori. I was starting to tolerate my second seishi, but he was the kind of person that exhausted me to be around, and I didn't think I could take two nights in a row with him. I wanted some peace and quiet for once, which was one thing Ren's timidness would be really good at giving me. So, even though Nuriko got a _"thanks for _that_ choice of words"_ glare from me, I said to Tasuki, "Yeah, I'd be okay with that, too."

"I-if Mika-san is okay with it, then I…um…"

"'At'll work, then," Tasuki said. "Yo, Genji, what rooms?"

He told him, though I can't remember the descriptions now, and Tasuki nodded, picking out which one Ren and I would get and which one Nuriko and Hotohori would get. He chose them that way, he said, because ours would be closer to his, and he wanted a chance to talk with Ren. He must have been _really_ eager to talk with Ren, actually, because he jerked his head towards the opposite end of the hallway and said, "You ain't in no hurry t'unpack, is you?" Ren shook his head and Tasuki grinned. "Then c'mon. You, me 'n' Ken're gonna convert."

"I think you mean 'converse,'" Ren corrected him quietly.

He was so totally ignored that for a minute I thought I had been transported back to my aunt's _Universe_. "You comin' 'r ain't'cha?" Ren looked nervously at me, and Tasuki caught the glance. He snorted. "What? She gon' cry if you fly? Shit, she don't look like she made-a glass. Look like she'd make it all right on her own." He glared at me. "Hey, kid, you gon' get lost we leave you here?"

I bristled under the 'kid' – it was annoying enough when Riki did it, but coming from some guy who couldn't have been more than a couple years older than me was downright teeth-grinding. "I think I can manage," I ground out, forcing my eyebrow to stop twitching so darn much. "Where should I meet up with you for dinner?"

"Jus' find a staircase an' go down 'till you can't no more. Follow yo' nose t' th' smell. Think y' c'n manage that?"

I told him I could, and considered adding a few snappish comments in return, but checked myself at the last minute. No, better not to tick off a seishi who was already reluctant –and maybe even a little hostile. But then again, maybe he just _really_ wanted to 'convert' with Ren. I tried to give his aggression towards me an excuse, and set to work figuring out a plan of attack for winning him over. I didn't have a lot of time to do much thinking, though, because our little guide Genji kept up a stream of conversation the whole time back to our rooms, asking questions, telling us about the 'freedom fighters,' and gushing on and on and _on_ about his two 'brave and noble leaders.' He seemed particularly smitten with Ken, which made me smile a little if only because I was annoyed at Tasuki and liked seeing him getting outshined by his sidekick.

"Brains and brawn," he kept saying over and over again, "you have to win with a combination, and that's what the Rekkai has! Okashira and Ken-aniki… the perfect mix of strategy and strength… oooh, when you see them in action, it's like _poetry_! You'll be so impressed that you'll have to fight to hold back your tears, te kanjii!"

Okay, so maybe he was a little _too_ passionate. Still, he was a cute kid, and an entertaining guide. I learned a lot about the Rekkai from him, though I'm sure Nuriko and Hotohori learned even more, since we arrived at my room first. It wasn't much – just a small square room with a futon, blanket, rickety dresser, and lamp, but there was a nice breeze coming in from outside, and everything looked clean – maybe not enough to eat off of, but enough that I wouldn't mind walking around in my bare feet. Genji fluttered around for a while to make sure I had everything I needed. I asked where the bathroom was, and he pointed down the hall towards a pair of community stalls – one marked for guys and one for girls, he explained – and then I said my farewells to my other two seishi and closed the door behind them.

I was a little upset that I never had a chance to tell Nuriko that the leader of the Rekkai was my fifth seishi, so it might be a _bad_ idea for her to "ensure his capture or, if capture is impossible, his assassination," but I didn't let it bother me too much. We'd have plenty of time to sit down and have a Seishi Powwow that evening, after we'd gotten some food in our stomachs. So, brushing the worry aside, I set to work unpacking my small suitcase, leaving a couple of drawers empty for Ren's possessions – which, like me, consisted mostly of clothes borrowed from the palace. I made the bed, checked to make sure the lamp worked, tested out the bathroom, closed the window halfway, and then, when I finally couldn't think of anything else to keep me busy, decided to find this dining room that my stomach was so happy about.

I followed Tasuki's directions, but never made it to the dining room, because as I hit the bottom of the stairs I caught sight of Ren and Tasuki a short way down the hall from me. I pulled up and was about to shout out a 'hello,' but a longer look at them made me hesitate. Tasuki had his hand pressed against the wall above Ren's head, eyes narrowed and lips curled in an expression that couldn't decide if it wanted to be pissed off, frustrated or just plain sad. He was saying something, though I couldn't really hear it outside of a low growl that told me about the same things that his face did. Ren had his face turned away so that I could only see his mop of bangs, shaking his head slowly from side to side.

I knew I probably shouldn't interrupt, but Ren looked so uncomfortable that I couldn't help it. "Um," I began, and both heads jerked my direction, "is everything okay?"

"Oh! Yes… I-it's fine, Mika-san," Ren assured me, taking the moment to duck out from under Tasuki's arm. "Sorry for worrying you. I'm…" he glanced up at Tasuki for half a second, then looked away again, "I'm going to go eat now." He took off down the hallway in the opposite direction, though not before hitting Tasuki with a whisper of a "Gomen nasai."

My newest seishi swore under his breath. I wanted to help out, but I didn't even know what was _wrong_, so all I could really offer him was, "Did something happen between you two?"

"Eh?" He turned to look at me again, though it might be fair to say he glared at me. "S'nothin'. C'mon, I got somethin' f'you."

He brushed past me and back up the staircase, and I didn't have much of a choice except to follow. "What's up?"

"You th' Suzaku no Miko, na?" I nodded. "An' you wants us t' help you find s'm seishi tha's s'posed t'be runnin' 'round Sou'un, na?" I nodded again. "Fuckin' lotta work you makin' us do, ain't it? Havin' us drop all our _own_ shit jus' so's you c'n find some mu'fucker with a glowin' tat." Meaning 'tattoo,' I guessed. "Well, what th' fuck ever, but I ain't movin' a goddamn finger 'till you show me that you's serious about this. Like I tole Ken, no freeloaders. So you gon' run an errand f'me t'night. Scratch my back, I think 'bout scratchin' yours. You dig?"

"I guess," I said, maybe a little nervously. What sort of 'errands' did the leader of a terrorist group run? Somehow I didn't think this would be a grocery list. "But I don't know my way around the city."

"Ain't no prob. Ken's gon' go with you," he explained, leading me down another hallway and into his room. It looked about the same as my own, except with a few extra pieces of furniture and some shabby decorations on the walls. I watched as Tasuki dug around in one of his dresser drawers, finally pulling out a small, circular package wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. I watched it like it might bite me and he snorted. "Shit, kid, how you s'pose ta call a god an' fix a country, you too scared t'carry a goddamn box?"

I felt my jaw tighten and I snatched the package out of his hand, tucking it into the little satchel-purse that Joumi had loaned me. "Is Ken in the dining room? Should I go eat and then head out with him?"

"Nah, you gon' eat when you gets to yo' destination," he explained. "Ken's waitin' up front. Think you c'n make it okay, kid, 'r you need me t'hold yo' hand?"

"I'm not five," I snapped, finally smacking up against the edge of my nerves. "And how old do you think I _am_ anyway, calling me a 'kid' all the time?"

"Young enough t'be axin' stupid questions when ya _ought_ t'be gettin' th' hell outta here. Sou'un's nice in th' sun, but out come th' stars an' you gon' wish you had a locked door 'tween you an' th' sumbitches I ain't trecked down yet." My stomach growled and he smirked. "Oh, 'at's _right_! It's dinnertime f'me, ain't it? Be dinnertime f'you, too, you stop that jaw flappin' an' get them feet movin'. See you later, 'ssumin' you don't go runnin' back t'Eiyou with yo' tail 'tween yo' legs, Miko-sama."

He walked off laughing, and I had to fight not to throw my purse, package and all, right at the back of his stupid head. I settled for shouting after his disappearing form, "Hah! This is the easiest job I've had since I got to this stupid nation! I'll be back in record time, and then I'll make you scour Sou'un right down to its _sewers_ until you find my seishi!"

"Yeah, yeah…" he said, waving a hand dismissively as he turned the corner back to the staircase.

"And the word is _ask_, not _ax_, you uncultured divvy!" I finished with vengeance, but I didn't even get a response to this one. _'Agh!' _I groaned to myself as I turned on my heel and stomped off towards the entrance. _'It's like Riki Part Two, except this one doesn't even have the decency to talk back!' _

He'd gotten my fur raised so much that the first thing I said when I saw Ken was a very snappish, "And there had better be one _hell_ of a meal waiting for us at this place, too!"

The Number Two man of the Rekkai stared at me for a couple of seconds, then chuckled and shrugged his shoulder towards the door. "Yuu been chattin' with ya?" I nodded once, though it felt more like I snapped my head up and down, and Ken laughed again. "He's got that effect on people, doesn't he? Well, don't let it get t' ya. He isn't a _bad _guy, jus' prickly, 'specially with newcomers. Kinda likes givin' girls hell, too, though I couldn't tell ya why."

"Well, he should learn how to say 'please' once in a while," I grumbled, following him out the door and down the street towards our mystery destination. "And why the heck does he keep calling me 'kid,' huh? How old is he anyway?"

"Seventeen."

I'm pretty sure my jaw smacked into the cement. "Y-you mean we're the same age?" He nodded and I shook my head in disbelief. "I never would've guessed. I didn't think he was _much_ older than me, but _my_ age? He's just a kid himself, then!"

"Seventeen goin' on forty, I like t'tell him. 'Course he says th' same thing back t'me, an' I'm only a few years older'n he is. It comes with livin' on th' streets. Ya grow up fast, or ya don't grow up at all. If Ren weren't so small, betcha wouldn't guess he was jus' fifteen, would'ja?"

I thought about it for a moment, and realized that I had to agree with him. I was about to comment on it when something else struck me – it had been almost a full minute since I'd winced at his grammar. "Nee, Ken-san, sorry if this sounds rude, but have you been speaking… normally, since we left HQ? I mean, you've still got the regional accent, but other than that."

"Eh? Oh, yeah." He laughed and rubbed at the back of his head. "I tend t'slip in an' outta th' street slang dependin' on who I'm hangin' out with. With Yuu I pick up whatever he's sayin', but outside-a that I talk more like I would if I were in th' classroom. Guess it's jus' started bein' habit."

"The classroom?"

"Yep!" He grinned and jerked his thumb at himself. "Ya wouldn't know it from lookin' at me, would'ja? I'm two months away from my degree! 'Course law school's next, 'ssumin' I c'n get accepted an' get some money for it, too. I'm scared though, tell ya th' truth – my grades're good _now_ but they were shit back in high school, an' I'm only sixth 'r seventh in my class, so…" he shrugged and laughed nervously. "Wish me luck, all right Mika? I bet it'll mean a lot comin' from th' miko."

He might've been nervous about his chances, but _I_ was cho-impressed, and I didn't mind letting it show. "And you're only _how_ old? Twenty, twenty-one?"

"Th' first one."

"Wow," I said, articulate as always. "What made you high-tail it through college so fast?"

"Honestly? Yuu. Hell, I prob'ly wouldn't've even graduated if it weren't fer him. But he's crazy 'bout this revolution thing, y'know? I mean it was his idea from th' start, an' he's _dedicated_. An' when he decided 'bout a year ago that he had ta take down that bastard emperor an' his dogs, he said t'me, 'I can't do it alone. I'm tough as hell an' I got an idea, but I don't have _plans_, not th' kind that c'd really work. Yer th' smart one, Ken, I know ya think it's pointless but yer still th' only one outta any of us who coulda even _made_ it inta college, let alone graduate from one. So be my brain fer me. You attack 'em from th' inside, an' I'll get 'em from th' out, an' we'll grab this nation by th' ears an' drag it – screamin' if we have ta – inta a new age.' Well, how c'd I say 'no' t'somethin' like that, huh?"

He glanced down at me again, and he had on one of those smiles that make it almost impossible not to smile back, even though you don't really know _why_ you're smiling in the first place. And I _didn't_ know, really, but I could feel a lot of admiration in his story, and maybe a little love, too, so of course my mouth quirked up at the corners. "So what's your degree in?"

"Poly-sci, a-course. We're hopin' t'get me on th' Council, though ya gotta be thirty t'run. B'fore that, it's local races. I'll be mayor-a this town b'fore I get my law degree, if Yuu's got anythin' t'say about it!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I thought you guys were throwing a violent coup over here, severed heads on spikes and everything."

"Oh, we're doin' that, too, minus th' heads-on-spikes part." I squeezed my eyes together in a wince, but Ken just laughed at me. "Well c'mon, ya think we c'n jus' sit around _waitin'_ fer me t' turn thirty? That isn't Yuu's style, an' it isn't mine, either. Gotta grab the tiger by his ears an' wrestle him t'the ground. If ya wait 'till he gets old an' dies, then he might grab an' eat _you_ first." Ken scowled and glanced away, and all that sunlight from before seemed to dry right up, or maybe it just got clouded over with reality. "An' with th' way things were, that tiger was plannin' t'do jus' that."

"What happened?" I asked, wondering if I could get a little history on my seishi – and maybe do some research for Hoshi's theory as well.

He waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, it was jus' a big, nasty mess. Drugs 'n' gang wars an' all kinds-a shit. Happened 'bout a year ago. It was around that time that we… sorta lost track-a Ren, I guess ya could say."

"Oh, that's right!" I said, slapping my fist into my open palm. "I meant to ask – how do you guys known Ren-kun? I mean I know he said you grew up together, but that doesn't really tell me anything. And besides that, he doesn't have the accent that you have."

"He wasn't born in Kouka Province," Ken explained. "His mom's from some town near th' capital. I think that's where he was from originally. But he moved here when he was real young." He chuckled. "He's fallen outta th' accent, but give him a day 'r two an' I bet he'll have slipped back inta it. Hell, ya might even hear him throwin' around some-a those slang terms you were strugglin' with earlier."

"How did you and T—" I checked myself fast, "Yuu meet him?"

"Well, _I_ met him at a foster home when I was… what? Fourteen, fifteen? Somethin' like that." He shrugged. "I was th' oldest, he was th' smallest. Guess we jus' couldn't find anyone else in the house t'hang out with."

"You were in a foster home at fifteen?"

"I was in a foster home at _five_. My deadbeat mom 'lost' me in at th' super an' never came back. An' it's tough gettin' adopted when yer already outta yer cute baby years."

"I bet," I said a little awkwardly. What do you _say_ to something like that?

He shrugged again, that same easy action, like he was used to letting bad things just kind of slide off his shoulders. "I had s'm all right foster parents. People I was with when Ren showed up – they were good people. Hung onta me 'till I was sixteen an' old enough t'live on my own. Hell, when I think about it, I was prob'ly better off'n a lotta kids I knew who _had_ parents."

"People like Ren?" I pressed, curious about – and still a little suspicious of – his beloved 'Kaa-chan.

"Ren was…" Ken sighed and scratched at his head, "a special case. Kanmei-san, his mom, she was a nice lady. She'd stop by an' visit him once 'r twice a week, an' every month she managed t'bring some candy fer th' kids t'share, which was a big treat for 'em. She was poor as hell, anyone c'd tell, but she did _try_ t'look after Ren, in her own way. Loved th' kid t'death, too, an' he was th' same way with her."

"If she loved him so much, why did she leave?"

"She said she had t'look fer a job in Eiyou, 'cause th' pay was better, an' that when she had enough she'd send fer Ren. That was about two years ago, I guess." I watched him expectantly, waiting for more, and he shifted under my stare. "Ya wanna know what I think about it, doncha?" I nodded with probably more enthusiasm than I needed. He chewed on his lip and stared forward for a minute. "I think… she was prob'ly workin' th' streets 'cause there wasn't anythin' else better. An' I think she maybe got busted one too many times, an' had ta skip town. There mighta been drugs, too, or shitty boyfriends. If I had t'guess, I'd say that Ren an' his sister were off-a shitty boyfriends, though he'll tell ya his dad died in an accident 'r somethin'. I don't know about all that, an' I sure as hell never told _Ren_ any-a this. I think it'd break his heart if he knew his mom had done all that. Religious as they both were, it woulda been worse'n it already was."

I felt my fists bunch up protectively. "So she _did_ ditch him."

"I dunno about that," Ken said. "Kanmei-san, I don't think she would've left Ren without at least _plannin'_ on comin' back. Like I said, she adored him. She was a nice lady. But things start happenin', things you maybe didn't plan, and then..." And another shrug, like it was his last line of defense against all the heartbreaking stories he knew. "Well, some people never really get good at it."

"At what?"

"Livin', I guess."

I didn't know what to say to that, though I still couldn't get myself to look with much kindness on Ren's mother. I had a feeling that if I ever ran into her, the first thing I'd probably do was sock her in the jaw. It's what she'd deserve for leaving a good kid like Ren by himself, I thought, and the thought actually made me smile a little. I sure was turning into his Onee-chan in a hurry, wasn't I?

"So how did the two of you meet up with Yuu?" I asked, plucking another question out of a hat that was just about bursting with them.

"Oh, we were in th' same gang."

I choked on nothing and whirled on him. "Ch-chotto matte! You're telling me that _Ren-kun_ was in a _gang_?"

"Who _wasn't_?" he retorted. I pointed a finger oh-so-intelligently at myself and he laughed. "No, no, I don't mean 'who' as in 'everybody.' I jus' meant, y'know, in th' Sou'un slums. _I _didn't know anyone who wasn't, not any _boy_ anyway, an' th' girls were at least protected by one of 'em even if they weren't actually _in_ 'em. By th' time ya were ten, ya pretty much _had_ t'be in one, otherwise you were th' target-a every half-assed act-a violence that showed up on th' streets. Strength in numbers, y'see?"

"I guess," I agreed, though I really didn't. It was hard for me to imagine being in a gang at all, never mind being in one because it was the _safe_ thing to do. The most dangerous thing in my neighborhood was an angry bulldog who liked to bite at the back wheels of passing bicycles. "And that _would_ explain why he can do those cho-fancy things with the knives, but… even so, _Ren-kun_? He… he …" I struggled to find a good description, and finally settled on, "he _bleeds_ wholesomeness!"

Ken laughed. "If it makes ya feel better, he didn't really _want_ t'join. We – myself an' a… friend… of his" – I noticed that his eyebrows knotted together at that last bit, but I didn't have a chance to ask about it – "kinda forced him inta it 'cause we noticed he was takin' a beatin' at school. An' besides, our gang was special. Our aniki," he smiled with a combination of admiration and sadness, "was really somethin'. It was all about protectin' each other, 'stead-a all that drug 'n' graffiti 'n' turf war bullshit." He looked like he was about to say something else about his 'aniki,' but at the last minute changed his mind. "Anyway, he 'n' Yuu were from th' same apartment complex. That's how we all got t'know each other."

I wanted to ask more about their old gang, but I could tell that somewhere between the beginning of our Q&A and now, Ken had gotten really uncomfortable talking about the past. So I offered myself up to some questions instead, which must have been the right thing to do because all of a sudden Ken was hitting _me_ with an interview, asking about everything from my original hometown to my time in Konan – where had I been? Who did I meet? Had I been inside the Imperial Palace? I told him I had, but was pretty vague about the details – just that I'd met the emperor and he'd offered to help out however he could, but that I was uncomfortable there so I'd been out in Eiyou more than anywhere else (which _was_ true, by the way).

"Is that where ya met Arisa-san and Sai-san?" he asked.

It took me a second to remember our cover story from before. "Oh, no. Arisa had already left the military by the time I met her. But she helped me out in the city when I was in kind of a tough spot, and we wound up as friends, I guess. She's not much for conversation, but she's great to have in a fight."

"Seems like it," he agreed. "Make a good Rekkai member. I dunno 'bout that cousin-a hers, though." He wrinkled his face up. "Seems kinda stupid fer th' streets. An' what is he anyway, a flip 'r somethin'?"

"A flip?"

He waved a hand as if that would explain everything. "Yeah, y'know – a flip, a BL, a dandy, a third."

I stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry?"

"An extra peach, a jade admirer, a comrade, a cut-sleeve lover." I just kept staring at him, wondering what language he was speaking and if maybe the _Universe_'s automatic translation-program had cut out. He finally gave up and turned to me, hands spread out, and slowly half-shouted, like maybe he thought I was a little deaf or something, "Does he have _sex_… with _guys_?"

I blinked. "Oh. No. Or at least, I don't think so. I _know_ he likes girls, at least… Why?" I asked suddenly, peering up at my guide. "Would it make any difference if he was?"

He held up his hands to protect himself from my glare. "H-hey, what th' hell do I care what people do b'hind closed doors? He's jus' all dainty 'n' shit, an' I thought he was holdin' my hand a little too tightly earlier t'day… It weirded me out, is all."

I could've scribbled _homophobe _across his forehead in big red paint, but I gave him a little slack because it was a different time period, and at least he was _trying_ to be okay with it. "He's just nervous about this place," I told him. "He grew up… _really_ sheltered." Again, _not_ a lie. "I think he'd have death-gripped _anyone's_ helping hand at that moment."

"Well, okay," he said, again trying to shrug it off like _hadn't_ just had a look on his face like he'd swallowed a wasabi root. "Don't matter so long's he c'n pull his weight. An' I guess if both you an' Ren vouch fer him, then he's all right. _Otto_!" he said suddenly, turning sharply on his heel and pulling to a stop. "Here we are!"

I followed his gaze to the apartment complex in front of us. Somehow we'd wound up in a decent neighborhood, probably working class, with old buildings that had been freshly painted to hide the fact that they were old, a few trees poking out of the tiny plots of land in the cement, and even the occasional ruffled curtain blowing in the breeze. Ken took off across the little sidewalk and up to the stoop of the building, ringing buzzer number three before taking a couple of steps back and shouting up to an open window, "Kiku-chaaaan! Tadaimaaaa!"

Not half a second later the brown-haired head of a girl poked out the window, her heart-shaped face flashing happiness when she saw him. "Ah! Okaeri, Ken-nii! The door's unlocked – c'mon in, okay?"

She disappeared again, and Ken took the moment to glance over his shoulder and wave me forward. I obeyed the flapping hand, glancing from him back up to the window. "'Tadaima'?" I repeated. "I thought you lived back at the Rekkai building."

"Nah, wouldn't do fer a future lawyer t'live in a place like that. I'd never be able t'study anyway. I live here with Kiku-chan an' her parents."

"Did they adopt you or something?" I asked as he opened the door and we slipped into the little hallway that led to doorways and a staircase.

He took the staircase, explaining as he did, "I told ya that I lived with foster parents 'till I was legal, didn't I? These're jus' family friends, I guess ya c'd say. Kiku-chan 'n' I have known each other fer years. She knew I was lookin' fer a respectable place t'live, an' since her older brother moved out a couple years ago her parents figgered they c'd rent th' room out t'somebody." He stopped in front of a door marked with a 'three' and rapped twice on it. "Knock-knock! Who's there? It's yer dear Ken-nii, comin' home from a long day-a work, an' with both a guest an' a present! Ah, Ken-nii, come right on in, dinner's on its way. A-ri-ga-tou."

He opened the door, but I didn't actually see him do that, because at that point I had fallen to the floor laughing. I couldn't help it. It was like my aunt's world, the one I'd been trying so hard to find since I'd gotten to Konan, had finally plopped right into my lap, looked up at me, said _"Oh, there you are! What took you so long?" _and bandit-danced with me down the hallway. It was just too perfect, and such a _relief_ that I couldn't stop everything inside of me from unwinding and that stream of laughter from exploding in the apartment building.

"Uh… Mika-san? You okay?"

I waved a hand at the wide-eyed Ken, wiping tears out of my eyes with the other as I tried to fight back a fresh wave of giggles. "It's fine, Ken-san. I just… oh, it's hard to explain, but… you've just made me very, _very_ happy. Seriously."

And, thinking about it, I realized that just about everything I'd met in Sou'un had been like that. Changed, but familiar. Like old friends had just found themselves in new bodies, instead of in new souls. Because how different, when I got right down to it, when I got past all the technological and cultural and social changes, was Kou Shun'u from Keishi Yuu?

"Well, that's good I guess, but yer gonna scare th' neighbors. Think you c'n stand okay?"

He offered me a hand and I took it, holding my aching side as I did. I looked past him to the girl in the doorway, the same one we'd seen from the window. She was young, probably even younger than me, short, and a little scrawny. She had a cute face, though, with the kind of eyes that poets like to call 'doe-like,' and short hair hugging her face. She was wearing a blue apron and holding a ladle in one hand, and I wondered if she'd been meaning to set it down and had just forgotten when she heard my crazy laughter from the hallway. I turned my eyes to own confused-but-friendly ones, and smiled. "Kasumiya Mikako – _not_ insane, I promise. Just call me by my first name. And you are?"

She squeaked, I guess surprised that I could talk like a normal person, then returned the smile, though hers was a little shy. "Onmei Shiragiku – oh, but everyone calls me 'Kiku.' Nice t'meet you."

"Yoroshiku!" I responded. "And I think that makes you the recipient of this." I dug around in my bag until I found the paper-wrapped package that Tasuki had shoved at me earlier, holding it out and waiting for her to snatch it up. "Ta-da!"

Kiku set her hands to her hips, ladle and all. "Mattaku! Didn't I tell him that I didn't want anythin' else?" Ken shrugged and she sighed, though it wasn't so much frustrated as just a little sad. "It's been a _year_, Ken-nii! And anyway how many times have I _told_ him?"

"That's just how he is, Kiku-chan. You oughta know that by now."

She shook her head and reached out with her free hand, holding it open palm-upwards. I dropped the package into it and she frowned a little, staring at the brown paper. "Well, come on in, both of you. 'Kaa-san and 'Too-san are workin' night shifts, so we have th' house ta ourselves. Dinner's almost done, too. Are ya hungry?"

My head bobbed up and down at lightning speed, but Ken jerked a thumb back at the door. "Got a package-a my own t'deliver, actually. I dunno how long it'll take, so go ahead an' start eatin' without me."

"Oh! Okay," Kiku said it cheerfully, but I could see her sort of wilt at his words. "Kiitsukete, na? It gets dangerous after dark."

He waved away her worries with a laugh, then closed the door behind him and left the two of us alone. We glanced back at each other, the room filled with silence for a couple of awkward seconds, then I went ahead and let my curiosity do the talking for me. "So what's in the package?"

Kiku blew out a stream of air between her lips. "Somethin' expensive and unnecessary, I bet." She set her ladle down long enough to untie the twine from the package, then unwrapped the brown paper to reveal a silver tin marked with the kanji for 'green,' 'tea,' and something I couldn't read fast enough before she turned the label to face herself. "Yahari na. That idiot."

"You don't like it?"

"Oh, I love it. It's just," she waved it at me as if that explained everything, "so silly, all this time and care, not t'mention money, an' for somethin' I don't even really need! An' it isn't like he has a lotta cash t'toss around, you know, but he's just… so…"

A thought hit me and popped out before I could stop it. "Are you two dating?"

"What?" She stared at me like I'd dropped from another planet. "No!"

"Oooh…" I nodded knowingly. "He's chasing after you, then?"

"No, no, no!" she squeaked, flushing and shaking her head back and forth at mach speed. "It isn't _anythin'_ like that, Mikako-san! Yuu and I… oh, that's too weird t' even _think_ about! He just…" She sighed, taking up her ladle and heading towards the kitchen. I followed a few steps behind, waiting for the rest of her sentence, and eventually she muttered, more to herself than to me, really, "feels like he has t'make up for it. Like he thinks I won't fergive him if he doesn't." She whirled back on me, smacking the tin onto the kitchen counter with a loud _clack_ and waving the ladle angrily. "But it's so silly, Mikako-san! Doesn't he _know_, haven't I already _told_ him over and over that I don't blame him for what happened? Only _he_ feels so guilty about it that he thinks everyone else does, too! Isn't it _stupid_, Mikako-san?"

"Um?" I offered, because I couldn't think of anything else. I felt a little like I'd just stepped into a very long, confusing movie at the halfway point, and my friend was complaining about all the plot points that I'd completely missed.

My face must have shown my confusion, because Kiku sighed and went back to stirring dinner. "I'm sure ya've heard about it, if yer Ken-nii's friend. The breakup of the Kokurou gang last year, that got this Sou'un revolution started in th' first place?" I nodded, because it seemed easier to pretend I knew what she was talking about. "It was durin' that time. When th' leader was betrayed, an' killed. A lotta other people were, too." Her voice got real quiet, so quiet that I had to lean forward a little to hear the rest. "Two of 'em were my best friends."

For the second time that day, I got that shifty, lukewarm feeling in my chest, the one that I get whenever someone I don't know all that well tells me about a tragedy in their lives, and I want to say something useful or be sad with them, only I don't know enough _about_ the tragedy to have anything good to say or think. I opened my mouth to give her a cho-lame _"I'm sorry," _then changed my mind when I saw her try to grab the tea tin at the same time she was stirring her soup. "I'll make the tea if you want," I said, snatching the tin away from her.

She forced a weak smile and went back to her soup. "Thanks, Mikako-san. Helpin' me out while I'm ramblin' about old news an' strangers to ya."

"It's fine. I'm interested in knowing more about Yuu and Ken," I assured her, then remembered _what_ we'd been talking about and added in a hurry, "But if you don't want to—"

"Yuu killed one-a those two friends of mine," she said suddenly. The tea tin slipped out of my hands, clattering to the floor in a shower of clangs, but neither of us really noticed. I had my eyes glued to her back, listening dazedly as she went on. "It's not his fault. My friend got involved with runnin' drugs. Then he got addicted to 'em, and from there… well, it's an old story," she finished with a small sigh. "He got in a bad place, an' t'get out of it he sold out their gang. Got their aniki an' a lot of other people killed. Yuu went after him, but he lost track-a him at one point. When he caught up with him again… Yuu saw him kill my other friend." She glanced down for a second, and I thought I saw her eyes get a little glossy before she blinked and it went away. "That was definitely the worst part," she whispered, then swallowed whatever had been building and continued without even a sniffle. "But then, after seein' that, Yuu thought he was gonna kill _him_, too, so he jus'…" She held one hand out in front of her in the shape of a gun, pulling an imaginary trigger. "It's an old story," she said again, like it was her catchphrase or something.

"That's awful," I breathed. I finally remembered the tin on the ground and bent to pick it up – thankfully the lid had been on when I'd let it go – but I couldn't get my mind far enough off of her story to actually start making the tea, not yet anyway. "So Yuu…?"

"Blames himself for it," she finished. "Because th' three of us were…" I watched from the side as she formed her hands into a loose triangle, "so, t' Yuu, it was like he ripped th' other two sides away from me, even if that isn't what happened at all. So he's gotta try t'make up for it. With gifts, an' favors, an' anythin' else. An' th' way he talks t'me, you'd think he was my servant or somethin'."

"He's just trying to help," I said, though I don't know _why_ I felt like I needed to defend Tasuki for doing something nice.

"Yeah, but I wish he didn't feel like he _had_ ta," she told me, pausing for just a second to check on the nearby rice cooker. "What happened… it hurt a lot, an' I miss 'em both _so _much, I really do, but… but that doesn't mean anyone should have ta _keep _hurtin', because of it. I wish I could get that through Yuu's stubborn head, sometimes."

I couldn't see anything but the tiniest bit of the side of her face, but what I could see gave me an interesting picture of Ken's little housemate. She looked… sad, maybe wistful, but not exactly depressed. Sort of like a scar that had healed over. It made it seem that what had happened had happened a lot longer ago than she'd said – or maybe that she'd just managed to make peace with it. It made me think that she was probably a lot stronger than her short height and knobby arms and legs made her look.

"Well!" she said, stepping away from her meal and turning towards me again with a soft, painful sort of smile. "That's th' story of why I'm annoyed with Yuu. An' speakin' of that tea-a his – how's it comin'? Think it'll be ready in time for dinner?"

I blinked at her, then at the tin, still unopened, in my hands. "Oops."

She giggled and went over to the cabinets, shuffling through until she found a teapot and three cups – "Though Ken-nii'll prob'ly jus' have a beer," she admitted – and presented them to me, helping me along as I got the tea ready. I didn't have the foggiest idea what to talk to her about, but thankfully she kept the room full of words about cooking, her time at school, and a few questions to me about my relationship with her 'adopted brother' Ken. I answered, though not very well. My mind was still on everything she'd told me, about her own life – and about the awkward kindness of my fifth seishi, who was becoming more and more like the Tasuki I had always imagined and _not_ like the one Hoshi had been worried that I'd find.

'_Curiouser and curiouser,'_ I thought to myself, and could've sworn that I heard Hoshi somewhere add, _'Cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).'_ Because of _course_ Hoshi would quote the entire line.

The smell of soup mixed with steaming rice pulled me back into the real world, and I managed to finish the rest of my time in the kitchen as a more-or-less sociable human being, chatting with Kiku about mostly unimportant girl things. As I tasted the soup and flashed her a thumbs-up, I realized that I felt – and I'm still shocked to admit this – downright happy and content, even if my mind was still all mixed-up about the situation in Sou'un. I even joined Kiku in a resounding shout of "Okaeri!" when Ken bolted through the front door a couple of seconds later, slamming it behind him and flying into the kitchen with a breathless "Tadaima" – a word that I saw but never actually heard, because it was completely lost in the roar of an explosion blasting in through the open window.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**"ochitzuke zo" – "chill out" "calm down" (in a kansai dialect, of course)  
Yanki – sort of a Japanese juvenile delinquent. See _Kamikaze Girls _for more details. :-)  
Konan-jin – the _jin_ means "person," so it's a person from Konan (Konanese? Konanean?)  
Okashira – Leader; Boss  
aniki – a sort of informal "big brother" often used in gangs; a fair translation would be "bro"  
te kanjii – a silly sentence ender that has a valley girl feel to it, similar to "like" or "totally"  
Gomen nasai – fairly informal "I'm sorry"  
Onee-chan – affectionate form of "Big Sister"  
"Chotto matte!" – "Wait a second!"  
Tadaima – I'm home  
Okaeri – Welcome home  
Yoroshiku – "Please regard me kindly" is probably the best translation  
Mattaku – "Geez," "for heaven's sake," etc.  
"Kiitsukete na?" – A kansai style "ki o tsukete, ne?" (or "be careful, okay?")  
Yahari na – "I thought so," "What did I tell you?" etc.

**Names Explained!  
**Keishi (恵贄) – "Blessed sacrifice." Yuu's family name. It also has the unfortunate side effect of sounding like "kishi" or "kushu," Japanese onomatopoeias for sneezing.  
Yuu (勇) – "courageous" or "heroism."  
Kouho Heiken (黄圃 平健) **– **The surname has no particular meaning, but the kanji is "yellow garden." His first name means "stable strength."  
Onmei Shiragiku (隠明 白菊) – "Onmei" uses the kanji for "concealed light." "Shiragiku" means "White Chrysanthemum," or just "Chrysanthemum (Kiku)" for short.  
(the) Kokurou (gang) (黒狼) – "Black Wolves." All sorts of fun meanings behind this name. The "Wolf" of course referring not only to Mt. Reikaku, which supposedly looks like a howling wolf, but also to both Gen_rou_ and Haku_rou_. The "Koku" is kind of a play on Hakurou's name, because even though his "Haku" means "spirit," the phonetic sound of "Haku" can also be made using the kanji for "white." So, yes. Your author had fun. :-)

**A Quick Note on Slang** – Tasuki and Ken's colorful speech patterns are a combination of American and British slang (old and recent), literal translations of Chinese slang, and some invented words of my own. Just to give you a taste, here's Ken's rapid-fire slang for a homosexual, plus parentheses: "a flip (my own), a BL (Chinese; short for the English "boy-love"), a dandy (English), a third (English), an extra peach (literal Chinese translation of _yútáo_), a jade admirer (my own, but based off the Chinese euphemism "jade stalk" to mean "penis"), a comrade (literal Chinese translation of _tóngzhì_), a cut-sleeve lover (literal Chinese translation of _duanxiu zhi pi_, a phrase that dates back to Emperor Ai of the Han. Wiki it sometime)." So, yes – again, your author had too much fun.

(Oh, and so you know, Mika's "shiny" slang isn't mine; it belongs to Joss Whedon and his glorious show, _Firefly_. I just borrowed it 'cause I figured, hey, everyone could use a little more Whedon Slang in their daily lives.)

**Many, Many Thanks To: **Urban Dictionary, The GLTB Slang Dictionary, Wikipedia, and Peter Tse's _Kansai Japanese_, for whom this chapter's language was made possible.

**Author's Note: 6/7/08  
**Hi everyone!  
It feels like I got this chapter out pretty quickly, but I'm thinking that that isn't actually the case, huh? Oh, well, at least there was plenty of Rekkai action in this one! And more to come in the next chapter! So what did you all think of our freedom fighters/terrorists? I really enjoy writing for Tasuki and Ken, but I have to admit that their dialogue takes a long time to put together. I hope it isn't too terribly difficult to read!

(Oh, and on a random note, extra credit points to anyone who spotted the cameo character from one of my other FY fics. I like to do that every once in a while, so fans of _FY:NC _shouldn't be too surprised if someone from that story also pokes his or her head in at some point.)

I feel like there was something else I wanted to talk about, but now I can't for the life of me figure out what it was. No matter, then! Thanks to Cally, MagicAnimeGirl, yui-chan, inuphantom13, Ane-san, Youn, sparky-chan123, Ayriel, dk-joy, Lady Seiryu, Tamahome Lover, and Amaya-hime for reviewing! It's so good to see everyone back, and I hope to hear from you again after this one, too!

Next Time: The end to that pretty nasty cliffhanger I just gave everyone, plus building tensions back at the Rekkai stronghold. Can Mika keep her seishi together? See you all again soon!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	20. A Night in Sou'un

**Chapter Twenty: A Night in Sou'un (From Explosions to Standoffs, It's Fun for the Whole Family)  
**

_BWOOOOOSH!_

"What the hell!" I yelped, catching sight of a bright flash outside the window and oh-so-intelligently running right towards it. I threw open the doors that led to the apartment's little balcony, staring with wide eyes and gaping mouth at a stream of smoke and dust snaking up from just a few blocks away. "Wha… wha…?"

"Oh, fer heaven's sake, Ken-nii." I jumped and whirled to find Ken and Kiku on the balcony behind me. "You always have t'do everythin' with so much… _flair_, doncha?"

"Hey, it was _Yuu_'s idea," he retorted before turning to the bug-eyed and fish-mouthed me. "C'mon, Mika, we'll be able t'see it better from th' roof." I was too shocked to do anything but follow his pointing thumb to the fire escape leading up to the flat roof behind him. "Kiku, you need help bringin' dinner up?"

"Nah, it's just hot pot. You two go on ahead."

"Well, don't take too long. There's a surprise in this one."

"Yareyare…"

Kiku disappeared back into the kitchen with a shake of her head, leaving me to stare at Ken with what I can only guess was the look a mom gives her son when she finds out he's secretly a Yakuza warlord. "You… you… did _that_?" I finally managed to spit out, my arm jerking straight out to point back at what I assumed was a flaming pit of rubble.

"Cool, huh?"

"ARE YOU INSANE?" I shrieked. "That is the exact opposite of cool! In fact – it's _on fire_! How could you _do_ that? Do you know how many people you just killed, or who lost their homes, or… I thought you were trying to _help_ Sou'un!"

"_Help_ Sou'un. Fuck over th' dogs." He took a step towards me and I instinctively took one back, pressing both hands in a deathlock on the balcony railing behind me. Ken didn't miss the movement. He frowned, looking honestly hurt. "Calm down, please, Mika? Look, if you'll jus' come up t'the roof with me you'll see I didn't hurt anyone t'day."

"_Today_," I spat back.

"An' th' only people we _ever_ hurt are th' ones who've been hurtin' us," he added in a rush. "Come _on_, Mika! You really think someone sweet as Kiku'd let a murderer stay here? You think we'd be keepin' th' Sou'un mayor under _house arrest_, fer gods' sakes, instead-a jus' endin' him quick? Ya think Ren woulda…" He stopped short, glancing nervously back at the kitchen door before lowering his voice and continuing. "Ya think _Ren_ woulda hung out with a buncha low-life terrorists?"

"Then what the _hell_ did you blow up?" I demanded.

"Statues, jus' statues," he said as another low _Bwoosh_ echoed from somewhere farther away behind us. "They're these big granite-y statues of Council Member Chou. 'Cause today's his birthday, see?" All I could do was stare back at him, wanting to believe him but too wary of everything else that'd happened to me so far to really do it. He groaned and scratched at his head. "Agh, no, you don't see at all! You don't know anythin' 'bout… C'mon, come up t'the roof, would'ja? I'll explain when we're comfortable."

I chanced a glance back into the kitchen, watching as Kiku bustled about pouring stew into bowls as if Ken had just come home from another boring day at the office instead of from setting fire to Kali only knew what. But then again, maybe this _was_ just another 'boring day at the office' to them. Could I really trust people like that, who could make and watch explosions like they happened every day? _Did_ they happen every day?

"Mika. Please?"

I shook my head to knock out all the whirling questions. There was a lot I still didn't know. What I _did_ know was that Ken had walked me all the way here, and Kiku and I had made dinner together, and both of them had told me a lot about themselves. And the things they told me were good things. Maybe not 'normal' things, and maybe things that were a whole lot more violent than what I was used to, but it was still good. It was still people trying to do the best they could. I took a breath and nodded, forcing myself to relax even as a final _bwoosh_, the farthest away of them all, rumbled from somewhere in the city. "Okay. But then I want a good explanation, otherwise I'm taking my dinner and eating it back in Eiyou."

"'Magine it'll be a little cold by then," he said with a relieved chuckle. "Don't worry. We're th' good guys, remember?"

I didn't say anything to that because I still wasn't so sure, so instead I just followed him up the little fire escape ladder and out onto the roof. Someone had set up a few rickety patio chairs on the flat surface, so we took seats in those, with me making sure that I was closer to the ladder than Ken so that if I needed to make a quick escape, I could. Not that he wouldn't be able to run faster than me, but still, it made me feel a half-inch safer.

"Okay," I said once we were settled. "Explain."

So he did. He told me all about 'that bastard Council Member Chou,' and about how he'd been Kouka Province's representative for almost twenty years, even though the people hated him. "Only he plays dirty, see, so anytime someone has th' balls 'r th' money t'try an' take him down, he figures out a way t'bankrupt 'em, or frame 'em with so many nasty rumors that people think that Chou's _still_ th' better choice. So he's jus' been sittin' there, gettin' fatter an' fatter, an' doin' nothin' fer this province but things that'll plump up his own wallet. Screws out everyone fer th' sake-a his financial backers, y'know? Raises taxes fer stupid shit, too. Like these goddamned statues-a _himself_ that're bouncing around this whole city. That's people's _money_ he's spendin', Mika, an' fer shit that we don't need an' nobody even wants. Only there wasn't anythin' we could do. He had the whole province jus' tucked up in his billfold.

"But then Yuu 'n' I formed th' Rekkai, an' we started makin' things tough fer him. Ever since we threw that coup on th' city council last month an' chucked th' mayor inta house arrest, ol' bastard Chou has been too afraid ta even _visit_ Sou'un. He always comes through an' makes a big fuss on his birthday, only this year he was too yellow ta risk it. So Yuu figured we c'd give him a present like this, since we wouldn't be able t'give him anythin' in person."

"Even so," I said with a snap in my voice that made me think of how my mom used to scold me, "those were some serious explosions. Aren't you worried that people might've gotten hurt from the debris, or that something else might've caught on fire?"

"Nah, we alerted everyone in th' area almost a week ago about this. They thought it was hilarious an' promised that they'd stay outta the squares t'night. A couple coms of mine in th' fire department promised me they'd keep an eye on th' areas too, jus' t'make sure nothin' got outta hand."

"And they were okay with that?" I asked in a squeak. The fire department back home got snippity if kids were waving _sparklers_ too close to wooden buildings.

"Of course they were," a voice from behind us said matter-of-factly. I turned to see Kiku coming up the ladder, balancing a tray in one of her hands. "D'you really think Yuu an' Ken-nii could've given th' city back to th' people if they didn't have th' people on their side?"

"Well, no," I agreed, scooting my chair over a bit so that Kiku could sit between us. She handed me a tray holding both a steaming bowl and a steaming cup, and my stomach finally remembered how starving it was. I managed to say, "I guess I just didn't know that even the civil servants were on your side," before I snapped apart my chopsticks and started diving into the mishmash of food-in-broth swirling in front of me.

Ken winked at me. "Didn't I tell ya we were th' good guys?"

I nodded distractedly. My brain was trying to remember the Five Phases of Revitalization Movements that I just _knew_ I'd learned in class a couple years ago, but I could only piece together a sort of vague outline instead of each of the steps. It probably didn't help that the better part of that same brain couldn't think anything but _"Oh my _God_ this hot pot is cho-oishii!"_ which I did say out loud to Kiku, who just smiled and thanked me for all my help. I had just decided that they were somewhere around the part where the 'new status quo' either came together or totally fell apart, when I heard Kiku ask Ken, "So what's this 'surprise' that ya said was in this one?"

"Oh. Hm…" Ken glanced down at his watch, squinting to see the numbers in the dim light. He looked up again with a smile. "Well, you'll see it fer yerself in about three… two… and one…"

_BWOOOOM!_

Another explosion rocked Sou'un, this one from somewhere around the skyscrapers in the downtown area. I gaped wide-eyed as a bright flash of light drew all our eyes, and only just barely heard Kiku squeal, "Oh! That's Council Member Chou's guesthouse, isn't it?"

"Nope," Ken said with a laugh. "Now it's a crater. An' watch!"

He pointed upwards just as a bright streak whizzed out of said crater, arching high into the sky before exploding in a flower of red and gold sparks. Soon more followed it, dousing the city in showers of multicolored light and sound. Kiku giggled beside me. "_Fireworks_, Ken-nii?"

"Tanjoubi Omedetou, ya bastard!" Ken called, cupping one hand around his mouth and waving the other fist-shaped into the air.

"Tanjoubi Omedetou, ya bastard!" Kiku echoed, mirroring his actions perfectly.

I could feel both of them watching me out of the corner of their eyes, and I could practically _hear_ Ken thinking to himself, _'Will the miko support us?'_ And it was weird because, even though I didn't approve of their methods – maybe it was just my peaceful upbringing, but I couldn't help but cringe at the thought of those buildings and statues lying in rubble – I had to admire them for their ideals, and their dedication _towards_ those ideals. I mean, all of this was because two guys barely older than me had decided they were sick of the horrible way their city was being treated. And now here they were, thinking of Sou'un as 'their people,' and holding a mayor powerless in his house, and even thumbing their noses at one of those prat Council Members, too. I didn't want to support them just yet, because I didn't really know what it was they planned on _doing_ with their revolution, but… Oh, what the hell.

"Tanjoubi Omedetou, ya bastard!" I shouted along with them, and pretty soon all three of us were singing _The Birthday Song_, inserting 'you bastard' in where Chou's name normally would've gone.

"An' tell yer sleazy boss that he's next, kusoyarou!" Ken shouted as the fireworks at last died down.

I choked on a mushroom. "Uh, Ken… when you say 'boss,' do you mean…?"

"Emperor Meigiri, a-course," Ken assured me. "That's th' _final_ goal, y'know. Hell, th' first thing Yuu said t'me was, 'We gotta take down that fuckin' emperor if we ever wanna make this country right again.' I mean, ya can't have a republic with an emperor runnin' around, right?"

I briefly considered mapping out for them the political structure of my own country along with a whole mess of others, but decided that there were more important things to worry about. Like finding out exactly what Yuu planned on doing to my emperor-seishi. "So… what exactly _are_ your plans with Konan, then?"

"Well, see, Yuu wants t'fix th' system so that th' Council is actually a representative system like it's s'posed t'be, 'stead-a these rich bastards jus' screwin' everyone over all th' time. But th' problem is, they have too much of a stranglehold on th' nation right now, an' they have a whole mess-a th' upper-crust in their pockets t'boot. Th' way th' system is set up, it jus' isn't really _allowin'_ fer a proper republic like what they have in Kutou 'r parts-a Hokkan. So what it keeps comin' down to, Yuu's tellin' me, is that ya jus' gotta chuck th' whole damn system an' start over again. Throw th' bastards out on their asses, set th' whole mess on fire, an' rebuild from th' ashes – er, figuratively speakin', anyway. Know what I mean?"

I felt a little queasy. "Somehow I don't think you're talking about elections anymore."

"Well, ya do yer best ta avoid killin' people, but… it's like with savin' an endangered animal, y'know? Sometimes ya gotta thin down th' number-a predators b'fore ya c'n let 'em out inta th' wild again."

I shuddered at the thought of all those people in the palace drenched in blood. "I don't like it," I told him. "I mean, I understand you guys wanting to fix the Council, but why the emperor and his people? He hasn't really _done_ anything one way or the other."

"Exactly," Ken and Kiku said hotly. They looked to each other for a minute, then Kiku waved Ken to take the floor. He nodded back at her and fixed that intense gaze on me again. "Listen, that's jus' the point – the emperor's useless now, but people still think of him as th' top-a th' government. It's a waste of money _an'_ it undermines th' whole democratic process t'keep him around. An' besides, whether it's his fault 'r not that things've gone t'hell, he's still th' one in charge so he's still th' one who's gotta be held accountable. Only he never takes responsibility fer nothin' – hell, he barely even shows up on TV anymore. It's negligence, is what it is."

"An' because of that, he's lost Suzaku's mandate," Kiku agreed, sipping at her tea.

"Or, t'put it in modern terms," Ken added, holding up his index finger in that lecturing way that people who've just graduated from college like to use, "The unfair treatment of th' people gives th' people th' right ta revolt. An' if _this_ isn't unfair treatment, then I don't know what is."

"So what are you going to _do_ about it?" I demanded, maybe a little hotter than I'd meant to. It wasn't that I was trying to defend Hotohori, exactly, only that I felt sort of bad for him. He really _did_ want to fix things, and it didn't seem fair that they'd be so ready to send him to 'Madame Guillotine' just for being powerless and ignorant. Didn't the willingness to change mean anything? But then again, they didn't even know him. He was just 'Emperor Meigiri V' to them, just a face on a screen and a name in a history book. For them, what did it matter what his personal strengths and weaknesses were?

'_I can't decide who I should be supporting and who I should be scolding,' _I thought with a little inner groan. _'Ugh… This is more confusing than derivatives.'_

"Well, first off," Ken said, interrupting my flustered thoughts, "we've gotta make sure we've got th' support of th' people. Our ideas can't survive if a lotta people aren't willin' t' lock arms an' fight fer those ideas with us." Hah – I'd finally pinned them on Stage Four, Phase Two of Revitalization Movements. Sensei would be so proud. "Once we got that, then it's the usual stuff – protests, an' workin' ta shuffle in some new Council Members, an' I'll be tossin' out papers on th' proper runnin' of a government like they were candy. Then it's partially a matter-a how th' _actual _government d'cides t'handle us. They get th' picture an' start workin' t'fix things themselves, great. They don't…"

He shrugged, and I saw Kiku frown beside him. At least I wasn't the only one who didn't want to see Konan go up in flames before it sprouted little populist flowers. "Either way, th' first step is a bill of human rights," Ken continued. "We don't got an official one-a those yet, jus' a sorta unspoken agreement on what ya should and shouldn't do, but a lotta people jus' ignore it when it ain't in writin'. I wanna make sure that don't ever happen again. An' once you've got that…" He shrugged again. "Well, it's mostly confusin' economic stuff after that, an' I don't wanna bore ya with it," I wanted to say _"Try me," _only I could tell that Kiku was getting a little tired of the political chatter, "but basically if ya keep people educated an' able t'speak their piece an' vote their bit, then the whole thing kinda falls inta place on its own, I figure."

It wasn't _that_ simple, I thought as I remembered all the different failed revolutions and governments that I'd read about, but it was at least a pretty good start. It had as good a chance at surviving as any uprising, at least. Even so, if I could do anything with Hotohori to make sure that a mutiny _didn't_ have to happen, I was going to. I didn't want to be known as the miko who let her nation explode, after all.

"I'm not sure if I agree with everything you said, but I hope you can make Konan a better place," I told him at last. "And I hope that I can, too."

He smiled at me, a relieved smile that said a lot about his respect for the miko. I just hoped my Tasuki would have the same sorts of feelings. But then his smile switched back over to a confident grin and he clenched a fist, raising it towards the sky. "Hell yeah, we're gonna make things better! The proletariats will rise victorious!"

"Yeah!" Kiku cheered from beside him, raising her fist once again in a mirror image of his own.

I stifled a giggle, and had to wonder if I was watching the beginnings of a revolution in the French or Bolshevik style. Either way, I hoped none of my new friends would turn into little Robespierres or Lennons by the time it was over. I liked them much better the way they were.

"Well," Ken said, slapping his hands to his knees and standing. "Looks like we're all finished here. What say we hop a subway back to HQ? Gonna be a birthday party for Chou t'night. Sound like fun, Mika, Kiku-chan?"

We both agreed that it did, though I was a little wary of traveling around at night – until Ken showed me the semiautomatic that he kept hidden beneath his jacket, anyway. Though they might've been a little idealistic, the Rekkai were definitely not afraid of admitting to the very real dangers of a city in the middle of a revolution. I just hoped they could keep those dangers under control – and that Hotohori could find a way to keep the Rekkai and other groups like them under control, at least for as long as it took me to find the rest of my seishi. The sooner I summoned Suzaku, I decided, the better.

oOo

As soon as we walked into the main room of the Rekkai HQ – it must've been where the old warehouse had stored all its bigger supplies – we were greeted by cheers and hollers from at least two dozen different men and women. Tasuki broke through the crowd and came straight towards us, greeting Ken with one of those same complicated handshakes that I'd seen them use with Ren earlier that day. "I see'd them flower-bombs from way out here, you crazy sumbitch!" Tasuki said cheerfully, pulling away from the handshake to slap Ken in a one-armed man-hug. "How much you wan' bet Chou jus' shit hisself?"

"Ain't never gon' fly t'_this_ city agin, I tell you that," Ken agreed, immediately slipping back into the heavy slang. "'Ey, I brought th' ladies back wi' me f' th' party. 'At cool?"

"Fuck yeah, 'at's cool!" he agreed, turning to Kiku with a small, almost ashamed little smile. "I ain't see'd my fav'rite gal in a dragon's age. How you doin', Kicchan? Keepin' my 'niki here outta trouble?"

She pressed her hands teasingly to her hips. "I'd do a much better job of keepin' him outta trouble if _you_ weren't always sendin' him on crazy missions. I mean, _fireworks_, Yuu? Seriously?"

"'Ey, it's a birthday, ain't it?" he said with a little laugh. "We gots t'be celebrationary."

Kiku giggled and dropped her annoyed front, reaching forward to give Tasuki a sisterly sort of hug. "It's good ta see you again. An' thanks for th' tea. It was really delicious."

"Some of the best I've had," I added, feeling a little left out of the conversation.

Tasuki looked over Kiku's head and towards me. He widened his eyes and dropped his mouth, making a big show of pretending like he'd just noticed me and couldn't believe I was standing there. "Well fuck me, if it ain't th' new kid! So ya di'n't go cryin' back t' Eiyou! Di'n't piss yo'self when them bombs went blastin', didja?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're not going to scare me off. I told you: I'm here to find my fifth seishi, and I mean to do that."

"Fifth seishi?" Kiku repeated. "Wait. Does that mean that you're…?"

"What? Ain't nobody tole you?" Tasuki grinned and smacked his hand down on top of my head, rubbing my hair maybe a little harder than he needed to. "You jist had dinner wi' th' Suzaku no Miko. Ain't you feelin' all high an' privileged now?"

"Ho… honma?" she squealed, grabbing my hands in hers and pumping them up and down excitedly. "Oh, Miko-sama, I had no idea! I'm so sorry fer makin' you help me with dinner – an' the meal wasn't hardly anythin', either! An' I talked yer ear off about all kinds-a silly things…!"

I took a nervous step back, trying to pry my hands out of her vice-grip. "It's _fine_, Kiku. If I wanted to be treated differently I'd go around shouting my secret identity from the rooftops. But I don't, so please stop strangling my fingers."

She blushed and let go, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "Sorry, Miko-sama."

"It's Mikako," I assured her before turning back to Tasuki. "And don't broadcast that information, okay? Just because I told you doesn't mean I want to tell everybody. It's a pain, not to mention that it's dangerous." He shrugged in a way that told me he didn't really see what the big deal was, but I just ignored him and glanced around the room. I spotted Hotohori right away, sitting a little awkwardly in a corner and chatting with a group of five Rekkai guests, among them two young women who couldn't have been more obvious about their interests in him if they'd shoved their hands into his pants. I prayed that he wasn't saying anything _too_ painfully stupid, and turned back to Tasuki. "Say, where's Arisa?"

"Huh? Oh, she 'as sayin' sump'n 'bout needin' t' ring her sis back in Eiyou, tell her yo' plane di'n't crash 'r nothin'. She only been gone a few minutes. Oughta be back soon."

I translated that to _'Calling Joumi'_ and scanned the room one last time, surprised to find my youngest party member absent. "And what about—"

"That seishi you brung wit'chu?" Tasuki interrupted, and I didn't miss the nervous glance he shot at Kiku when he said it. "Got all pale 'n' shit after dinner, sayin' he 'as feelin' sick. I made 'im go back ta his room, last thing _I_ need is some'un upchuckin' in my party pad."

"Oh, there's a seishi here?" Kiku interrupted, eyes dancing with excitement. "Which one? I'd love ta meet him."

"Tamahome," Ken interrupted – he'd been so quiet that I'd sort of forgotten that he was lounging against the wall beside us. "But if he ain't feelin' so hot, less jist let 'im 'lax f'now. Maybe if he feelin' sunny t'morrow, you c'n say 'hi' then." He grabbed her by the arm, tugging her into the room and pointing out a table lined with drinks and bags of snack foods. "C'mon, I'm thirsty, an' there's a keg whistlin' my name from halfway 'cross this room. You comin' wit' us, Yuu? I'll take you on in th' finger game."

Tasuki forced a laugh and waved them away. "You gon' wish you ain't said that, Ken! I be there in a sec."

His friend nodded and dragged a puzzled, laughing Kiku away, leaving me to stare suspiciously at my fifth seishi. "All right," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "What's going on? Is there some reason we can't talk about Ren-kun in front of Kiku?"

Tasuki held up his hands and shook his head hard. "I ain't sayin' nothin' if Ren ain't tole you hisself. He's up in yo' room – you wan' talk t'him, you talk t'him, but you don' ask me 'r Ken nothin' an' you _sho_' as hell don' talk 'bout him in front-a Kiku. You dig?"

"Like a mole," I said dryly, half-puzzled and half-annoyed. Maybe half-worried, too, if it's possible to be three halves at once. "I think I _will_ go check on him, though. Is he really feeling sick?"

"Sump'n like 'at," he muttered darkly, but before I could ask anything else he held up his hands again and pointed one up towards my bedroom. I sighed and left him there. I was beginning to get that 'walked into the middle of a confusing movie' feeling again, and it was making my head ache.

It took me a minute to remember my room number and exactly how to get there from the 'party pad,' as Tasuki had called it, but after a couple of confused minutes I managed to work everything out and found the door with the right numbers attached to the front. I knocked once, just to make sure Ren wasn't in the middle of changing clothes or anything, then creaked open the door, poking my head around the frame and into the dimly lit interior. "Ren-kun?" I called, surprised at how dark it was. In fact, the only light I could see was coming from the streetlights outside, falling in through the slats of the window blinds. Had he fallen asleep? I scowled and flicked on the light switch. "Ren-kun? Are you…"

I trailed off, blinking as my eyes landed on the little curled-up bundle in the corner of the room. Not half a second later I heard a voice squeak from inside that bundle, "Please go away, Mika-san."

Of course him _saying_ that pretty much guaranteed that that was the last thing I was going to do. I did flick off the light again, though, because the quiver in his voice told me that he might be crying, and I thought I'd save his pride a little by not letting myself _see_ the tears. Taking careful little steps, almost like I was sneaking up on an injured cat and didn't want to scare it away, I crossed the room and crouched down in front of Ren. Now that I had a closer look at him I could see that he had his legs curled to his chest and his head buried in the tops of his knees. His arms were curled up between his legs and chest, and his hands were gripped together like they were holding something, though I couldn't tell what. "Geez, Ren-kun," I said, reaching out a timid hand to touch his shoulder. "Are you okay? Yuu said you were sick, but…"

The bundle in front of me took a deep, shuddering breath, but didn't look up. "I'll be fine. Please go enjoy yourself downstairs."

"But you're curled up over here all by yourself!" I protested. "How is _that_ 'fine'?"

"It's cooler over here by the window. And when the lights are off like they are now, it's nice and dark, too. It makes me feel calm – better," he corrected, though not quite fast enough. '_Illness my foot,'_ I thought grimly. "Maybe I'll come down later. You go ahead."

"Is this…" I hesitated, then decided that I was sick of just _guessing_ at what was going on and needed to get some kind of a real answer. "Does this have anything to do with Kiku?" I saw his whole body stiffen up at her name and knew I'd hit it right on the nose. "Do you not like her or something?"

"That's not it," he whispered weakly.

"Does _she_ not like _you_, then?"

"That's not it either," he whispered, though more panicky this time.

"Well then what—"

"I can't tell you, Mika-san!" The words burst out of his mouth so quickly and frantically that I almost didn't catch them. "I can't _tell_ you the reason, I can't talk about it, I don't want to talk about it, I'm _scared_ to talk about it because I know that…!" I heard him swallow hard, squeeze his hands tighter around the 'something' in between them. "I did something really bad to her. I hurt her really, really badly, more than anyone else ever could. And I've been trying to make up for it, I really have, only I can't…" The words caught in his throat again, and I instinctively set my free hand onto his knee. His head jerked upwards at my touch, and he faced me full-on with both eyes, and both of them were just about filled to overflowing with tears. "Only I can't see her again, I just can't, _please_ don't make me see her again, Mika-san. I know that if you told me to I would because you're my miko and I promised that I'd always be good and serve my miko but I'm begging you not to make me do that, I'm begging you because I don't know what I'll do and I don't know what _she'll_ do and I couldn't stand it if she hated me and I _know_ that she must hate me, so please Mika-san, please please _please_ don't make me—!"

"Shh," I finally whispered, scared that he was about to have a panic attack. I pulled his head to my chest and felt that tiny frame of his just about shatter with a deep shiver. "Calm down, Ren-kun. I wouldn't _make_ you do anything, especially something that you were this afraid of. Just relax, all right? Please? You're going to make _me_ start crying if you don't."

"G-g-gomen nasai…"

I scowled out of habit. "And stop that, too. Look, you're always harder on yourself than you need to be. I'm sure that whatever happened between the two of you couldn't have been _that_ bad. She seemed pretty cheerful to me."

"It was awful. The worst."

"You could tell me about it and then I could decide that for myself."

I felt his head shake against me. "You'll hate me too, if I tell you. I'm sorry, I know it's selfish of me, but I couldn't stand it if that happened."

"I don't think it's _possible_ for me to hate you," I told him softly, and I really did mean it, "because the only things that could make me hate a person are things you aren't even capable of doing." He sniffled and I sighed. "But look, if you don't want to tell me now then you don't have to. But someday, okay? When you think you can stand it, I want to know what the heck would make you fall apart like this."

"H-hai, Miko-sama. I… I will. I'm sorry."

"Argh." I bopped him lightly on top of the head. "You didn't _do_ anything, so stop it." I pulled back a little, sort of half-forcing him to look at me. His eyes were all puffy but he wasn't crying anymore, so that was something at least. "Now listen, I brought my checkers set with me. It's in my bag. Do you want to play a few matches? As long as you don't mind losing, it might cheer you up a little before bed."

"B-but don't you want go down to the party?"

I shrugged. "I'm pretty worn out from the plane trip and the gunshots and the explosions, to tell you the truth." Which was only about a half-lie, but I knew I'd feel as bad as week-old tuna if I left him up here to be all depressed for the rest of the night. "So…?"

He smiled weakly and nodded, finally uncurling himself from the corner. I saw him tuck the 'something' in his hands into his pocket, but I decided not to ask him about it. Maybe it was just a good luck charm or something.

I rummaged around in my suitcase until I found the box, and, thanking Hotohori for maybe the first time in my life, I slapped down the board and set out the pieces. We played three games (and Ren actually _won_ one of them, much to this master player's shock) before I noticed that he was starting to nod off and suggested that we call it a night. He agreed sleepily and, after a short argument about whether or not it was 'proper' for him to sleep on the big futon with me or not, I finally won the battle and we curled up at opposite ends, sharing a blanket and falling asleep. Or at least, Ren fell asleep. _I_ stayed up for at least another hour, frowning at the ceiling and thinking about everything that I'd learned from Ken and Kiku and Ren, and wondering if maybe, just maybe, the book's history was finally trying _not_ to repeat itself.

oOo

There was one more incident that happened that night, though I wasn't actually there for it, and didn't even find out about it for another couple of weeks or so. It's important enough that I think I'll just have to write it out, though, more-or-less the way that it was told to me.

It happened after the party had wound down and everyone had trickled back to their rooms. Apparently Tasuki and Ken had ended up in Mortal Finger Game Combat and had drunk enough to fill a small swimming pool, and both had staggered around happily before finally passing out in their respective beds. That's what Nuriko _thought_ anyway, as she opened the door to Tasuki's room and slipped inside, her sword held loosely in her hand. She tiptoed across the floorboards, silent as any self-respecting ninja, and aside from the trickle of streetlight that struck the edge of her blade and made it gleam, she was almost completely hidden from view, too, lost in the shadows of the room. In short: the perfect assassin.

She stepped up to the side of the bed, stared down at the sleeping face, and took a breath, raising her sword for the strike. But just as she held up the blade the form in the bed moved, almost faster than she could follow, whipping out a gun from underneath his blankets and pointing it straight at her forehead. She took a step back, sliding her sword in from the side but stopping at the last second, her breath in her throat and her heart pounding so loud it practically echoed through the room. And they stood like that, half-masked in shadows, a sword at his neck and a gun at her forehead, for who knew how long. Seconds? Minutes? Hours?

But then Tasuki smirked and broke the silence. "Well, well, well. So th' emperor's tiger fin'ly shows her stripes."

"You knew who I was," she said more like a statement than a question.

"'Chu di'n't _really_ think no revolutionary c'd live 's long's me wi'out knowin' ever' face in th' palace front, back, an' sidewise, did you?" he asked with a voice full of contempt. His eyes narrowed. "Now I let'chu in 'cause Ren said you was cool, but I sure's hell di'n't trust ya. You lie ta him 'n' Mika, tell 'em that you was comin' here t'capture 'stead-a kill?" She didn't answer and he snorted. "Shit. You killin' me real good now, ain't'chu? 'Bout t'get yo' brains blasted 'cross Rekkai HQ. Bet yo' daddy gon' like hearin' 'bout that, ain't he?"

The corner of her mouth twitched just a hair. "If you think you have won then you are sorely mistaken. My name as you well know is Sanjou Yoshimi, Captain of the Imperial Guard, but I have recently begun going by another name: the Suzaku no Nuriko. My seishi gift is strength. All I need to do is flick my hand and your head will come off. Surrender now, though, and out of respect for Ren-kun I will consider sparing your life."

"Well la-dee-fuckin'-dah, ain't you jus' sump'n special?" Tasuki scoffed. "Well lemme give _you_ some V.I. that mighta slipped under yo' sumbitch emperor's radar: I got a second name too, one I ain't never tole no one 'till now." One side of his mouth curled upwards. "_I'm_ th' Suzaku no Tasuki, an' _my_ gift is speed. You so much's _twitch_ yo' hand an' I'll be repaintin' my walls wi' sump'n bright 'n' red t'night. You dig?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing."

"Maybe I is, but maybe I ain't," he said. "But if I ain't an' you slits my throat, how'zat gon' work out f'you, huh? Gon' make yo' miko real happy, ain't it? Gon' make yo' sumbitch _emperor_ real happy, ain't it?" She growled low in her throat and he chuckled darkly. "Way I figure, you got a fitty-fitty chance-a fuckin' up sump'n fierce t'night. Me? All I gots t'do is pull a trigger. Puts _you_ in a fuckin' nice sitch, don't it? All that hesitatin' gon' make me win this li'l standoff, I'm thinkin'."

"I care nothing for my own life," she said, jaw tightening and the shine of her symbol glowing faintly through her thin nightshirt.

"Oh, I b'lieves it. An' I respects 'at about'chu, I does," he assured her. "But 'at kinda dedication don't mean two shits where you standin' right now. 'Cause yo' emperor wants his seishi, an' yo' miko wants her seishi. An' if we 'cides t'fuck each other up t'night, ain't gon' matter if one wins or none wins, there's gon' be a whole fuck-ton-a seishi blood kickin' 'round this room by th' time we's finished."

"Then what do you propose we do about this, terrorist dog?"

"Well, imperial taintlick," he shot right back, "as it jus' so happens I ain't int'rested in gettin' iced t'night. I still gots shit t'do, important shit 'at only I c'n do, an' I ain't plannin' on fuckin' 'at up jis' 'cause some palace bitch comes strollin' in wi' a glowin' tat on her chest. So here's what I say: _you_ put yo' sword down, an' you an' all yo' kind leaves me 'n' mine 'lone."

"And if I were to do that?"

"If you did all 'at, then _I'd_ put my gun down, an' I'd get down on one knee in front-a yo' miko an' I'd promise ever' last drop-a my blood ta her an' her cause. I'd even keep my hands off yo' precious sumbitch emperor 'till we 'us finished."

Nuriko didn't relax. "And if the summoning fails? Or after Suzaku is summoned? What then?"

He smirked up at her. "If things ain't gotten no better, then I'm back wi' mine, and you's back wi' yours, an' we c'n jis' go back t'killin' each other nice 'n' proper, t'our heart's content." Nuriko hesitated, then nodded once, a short nod that promised exactly what he'd suggested and not a centimeter more. "A'ight, then. Count-a three, you drops yo' sword an' I drops my gun, an' we go back t'treatin' 'ch'other like civ'lized human bein's."

"We count together," she said.

"Fine," he agreed.

"One.

"Two.

"Three."

They dropped their weapons, but before either touched the ground they both dove forward, Tasuki grabbing for the sword and Nuriko for the gun. Their hands came into contact with the opposite one's weapon at the same time and they whirled on each other, switching positions but without either having lost or gained a speck of ground. Another standoff.

Tasuki looked down the length of the sword at Nuriko.

Nuriko looked down the length of the gun at Tasuki.

And both smiled.

"A'ight," Tasuki said through a disbelieving chuckle. "How 'bout we try this shit agin?"

oOo

I of course didn't know a thing about the life-and-death dance going on just a few doors down from me, so once I _did_ get to sleep I slept like a big, snoring baby, and didn't even budge until the sun snuck into the window and made my eyelids twitch awake. I blinked sleepily, surprised to feel a body pressing into my back, but then relaxed when I realized that Ren must've just gotten cold and wound up snuggling his way across the futon towards me. I sat up and turned to give him an 'ohayou'—

—And found myself staring down at a half-awake Hotohori.

"Oh," he murmured, rubbing at one eye and covering a yawn. "Ohayou, Mikako."

I felt my eyebrow jump practically all the way up my forehead. "You have five seconds," I ground out through gritted teeth, "to explain why you're in my bed. And at the end of those five seconds, I'm going to kill you. One—"

"NurikoleftinthemiddleofthenightandwhenIwokeupIgotnervoussoIcameinheretomakesureIdidn'thaveanightmareI'msorryIdidn'ttellyoubutyouweresleepingsopeacefullythatIdidn'twanttowakeyoupleasedon'tkillme!"

I sighed as he curled up into a ball, arms held protectively over his face. And there was the emperor-induced headache, right on schedule. "Okay," I said, rubbing at the bridge of my nose. "Try that again, and use spaces between your words this time."

He sat up, doing his best not to nudge the still-dozing Ren at the far side of the futon. "I woke up in the middle of the night and discovered that Nuriko had left. I was worried, because I hadn't taken my second pill – thinking that she would be there with me, you see – and I didn't want to fall back asleep and have… problems." He paused to look down in embarrassment, then took a breath and went on. "I thought that I would come in here to sleep, and I wanted to tell you, only both you and Ren-kun were sleeping so peacefully. I didn't want to disturb you, so…" He gestured to the bed as if that explained everything, and I guess in a way it did.

"Okay, fine," I said, shrugging helplessly. "I guess I'll just kill Nuriko instead. Anyway, your being here works out. Would you mind waking up Ren-kun for me? I'm going to go clean up in the bathroom. Oh, and don't take him downstairs until I say it's okay, all right? There's someone there that he doesn't want to see."

Hotohori nodded. "The girl named Kiku, correct? Yuu-san requested that Nuriko and I not mention Ren-kun's name in her presence. I don't suppose you know _why_, do you?"

"Not a clue, but I'm gonna respect his wishes," I told him, standing and grabbing my suitcase. "I'll be back in about thirty minutes or so. Get yourselves tidied up while I'm gone."

"Hai, Mikako. And, um… thank you."

I waved off the compliment and strode out the door. I was going to have to have a talk with Suzaku about all these high-maintenance seishi of mine. Well, at least Nuriko and Riki didn't require too much TLC. _'Hell,'_ I thought as I stripped to my nuddy-pants in the showers. _'They'd probably put a gun to my head if I so much as _tried_.'_

I cleaned up fast and headed downstairs, but as it turned out I didn't have anything to worry about. I found Tasuki and Nuriko in the dining hall, but when I asked about Kiku and Ken I learned that they had already left. Apparently they both had class early in the morning. They sent me their best regards, though, which was nice to hear.

"That's too bad," I said. "I was hoping to say 'good-bye' to them. Well, at least Ren-kun can come out of hiding. Sai's with him right now. I'll go get them."

"I'll come wit'chu," Tasuki said, standing from his chair and shooting Nuriko a meaningful look as he did. She nodded once but said nothing, and before I could ask about the weird little exchange he had grabbed me by the arm and was carting me out of the dining hall.

"Geez, Ren-kun's not gonna starve to death if we take our time," I told him a little snappishly. This guy had a death-grip that rivaled Nuriko's.

He released my arm as soon as we got to the staircase, but he stopped there, taking a breath and turning to meet my eyes. "Mika, there's sump'n I gots t'tell you. I wasn't gon' to right 'way 'cause I di'n't know what'chu was all about… di'n't know if you was after-a same things I was, or if you was jis' lookin' t'fuck an emperor an' get yo'self famous. But Ken 'n' Kicchan tole me all 'bout what'chu said to 'em, an' they says you's gon' be good f'Konan. So… well… aw, fuck it."

He ripped off the sweatband on his arm, and though I already knew what to expect I still had to smile at the shiny red symbol glowing on his wrist. "I'm 'at seishi you 'as lookin' for. 'S gon' fuckin' kill me t'leave Sou'un, but Ken 'n' some-a my coms 'r gon' keep things goin' smooth while I'm wit'chu. An' _while _I'm wit'chu, I figger I'm still sorta doin' what I gots t'do f'Konan, so… so, if you wants me, I'm yours. You dig?"

I smiled. "Thanks, Tasuki. I'm happy to have you with me." My stomach roared and I giggled. "How about we talk more about our seishi plans while we eat? Oh, and just so you know, Arisa is Nuriko and Sai is Hotohori. I didn't want to say anything before, but now that you're coming with us I figured you should know."

"_Sai_ is…?" He shook his head in disbelief as he followed me up the stairs. "I ain't too s'prised 'bout 'Risa, but I _never_ woulda figgered 'at bishi fo' a seishi. What's his power? Lookin' pretty?"

I laughed, bouncing off the landing and heading down the hallway to my temporary room. "I'm starting to wonder."

We walked mostly in silence to the room, and thankfully found both Hotohori and Ren all cleaned up and ready to go. We trooped back down the stairs and into the dining room, explaining the situation to the two of them as we went. Ren was thrilled to have his old friend coming with us, and even Hotohori seemed genuinely pleased to have 'such a capable ally,' as he put it. You'd never guess that both had been planning on taking down the other one just a day before, would you?

As we entered the dining room we saw that Nuriko had disappeared again, but Genji assured us that she'd just run out into the hallway to take a phone call from her 'sister.' Hotohori and I exchanged knowing looks and went back to piling our plates with breakfast food – a mostly greasy, cheap, cafeteria-style meal, but Rekkai's chefs did their best to make it flavorful even if it did make my stomach do a bit of a back-flip. Someday, their society would learn how to make cheap _health _food just like ours had, I reminded myself as I slugged down something that resembled meat – though, what kind of meat was anybody's guess. At least it tasted all right.

"Say, Yuu, what _is_ this, exactly?"

"Chicken?" he said with a question mark at the end. "Jis' drown it in soy sauce. 'At's what _I_ allus does."

"I'd like to _not_ have a heart attack at twenty-five, thanks just the same."

"Oh, my goodness, Mikako! You _must_ try these manju! I've no idea what they did to them, but they are simply amazing."

"They deep-fried them, Sai. It's the lazy man's oven."

"You abscondin' my cooks, Mika?"

"Eh?"

"I think you mean 'affronting.'"

"Is _that_ what he meant? I couldn't even _guess_. You're good at translating for him, Ren-kun."

"Hai," he said, shooting a teasing smile at his friend – the first one I'd _ever_ seen from him, actually. "Yuu speaks his own language, but I've gotten used to it."

"A combination of Kouka Dialect and Complete Divvy, hm?"

"Something like that."

"O-oi, you two…!"

Everyone at the table laughed at their flustered leader, until he finally gave up looking angry and shook his head, chuckling as well and shoving a piece of fried _something_ dangerously close to my face. I squealed dramatically and made as if to hide behind Hotohori, who leaned forward to sniff at the mystery food and wound up with a nose full of grease. So then we were all laughing at _him_, and even he was laughing about it, too, and it was all Seishi Sunshine and Rainbows, until—

"Oh, Arisa, _there_ you are!" I greeted as she came back to the table. "That was a heck of a phone call! How's your 'sister' doing? Missing us all terribly, I bet?"

"Mikako. Sai. I need to speak with you privately."

The smiles drained off our faces as we looked first at each other and then back up at Nuriko – and now that I _did_ really look at her, I realized that she was tight-lipped and pale, more upset than I'd ever seen her. The two of us nodded once and stood. I gestured for Tasuki and Ren to go ahead and wait at the table for us, then turned and followed the fast-moving Nuriko out into the hallway. "What's up?" I asked as soon as we turned the corner. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I just received a phone call from the palace," she said in her usual straightforward manner, though this time she looked a lot more worried. "They want us to return immediately."

"Why?" Hotohori asked, and I was a little surprised at how reluctant he sounded. "Is something the matter? Couldn't it wait a few more days?"

Nuriko's eyes slid past me and onto the emperor at my side. She met and held his gaze with hers, almost as if trying to send a blast of strength or maybe concern across the space between them. "It's the Imperial Princess, Heika," she said quietly. "Your sister has collapsed."

* * *

**Japanese Glossary:**

Yareyare – "geez," "good grief," etc.  
Cho-oishii – super-delicious  
"Tanjoubi Omedetou!" – "Happy Birthday!"  
Kusoyarou – it literally means something along the lines of "shit-bastard" (hehe), but it's better to translate it to "son of a bitch" or "motherfucker."  
'niki – short form of "aniki," meaning "big bro."  
Honma? – the kansai version of "hontou," meaning "really?"  
Ohayou – good morning  
Bishi – short form of "bishounen," meaning "pretty boy."  
Heika – Highness, Your Majesty, etc.

**The Finger Game: **Tasuki and Ken (wow, I almost typed "Koji") play a drinking game in this chapter called The Finger Game. I would love to explain all the nuances to you, but to be honest I don't really _know_ them; I just know it's a drinking game that's played in China (or was played in China... my knowledge comes from 18th and 19th century Chinese novels, where it's often played but never actually described). I think it's a little like rock-paper-scissors, except it has to do with how many fingers you throw - one, or two, or etc. - and I know that the loser has to drink. All you really need to know is that people get trashed off of it. :)

**Author's Note: 8/8/08 (hehe, cool)**  
Hi everyone!  
So I think this may be my favorite chapter so far. It was pretty much a joy for me to write, even the somewhat slow-paced opening scene. I actually wrote the entire thing in one day (in about five hours), so that tells you how fun it was for me. I've been sitting on that Tasuki/Nuriko stand-off scene for about a year now, and I hope it turned out as badass as I'd imagined... But hey, let me know what _you_ thought! Did you like it or hate it? Don't be afraid to shoot down my ego; I'm always looking to improve, even after I'm ridiculously pleased with something I've written. XD

Oh, and as it turns out, a character from _FY:NC_ sort of makes an appearance in this chapter, as promised, though probably I'm the only person to notice it. The Deposed Lord Chou from Takkan, the one who never actually makes an "appearance" but gets mentioned in flashbacks in later episodes? Yup, he's causing trouble in Sou'un, too. I think Chou has become my recurring, never-actually-_seen_ villain. It's fun. _(grin)_

I want to talk about the _Broken Wings_ playlist a little bit in this chapter, but it's rather long, so I think I'll just tag it on as a sort of "P.S." for anyone who's interested. So thanks to dk-joy, inuphantom13, MagicAnimeGirl, Ayriel, Lady Seiryu, Magic-in-Flames, antyem13, Amaya-hime, and Emily for reviewing! It's always a delight to hear from you all, and I hope to get your take on Chapter 20 as well!

Next Time: Joumi's sudden collapse sends everyone rushing back to Eiyou... and searching desperately for a cure. Can Mikako track down her miracle-worker in time? See you next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /

**P.S.: The **_**Broken Wings**_** Playlist! :D  
**So I started putting together a _Broken Wings_ playlist the other day - you know, just some good stuff to listen to while I was writing, songs that reminded me of the characters, and so forth. It's kind of strange for me, 'cause usually my anime stories tend to get Japanese playlists, but the majority of the _BW_ music is in English. Go figure. Anyway, I went through my current music collection and found some stuff, and figured I'd share it with everyone. Now I'm kind of picking and choosing songs at the moment, because some of the ones on _my_ playlist are actually about characters and events that haven't happened yet, and I don't want to even subtly spoil anything for anyone else. I also imagine the playlist will grow as a go, so this is really just the tip of the iceberg as far as music goes. Consider it the growing _BW_ soundtrack. If you're interested in previewing these songs, let me know and I'll probably post them on my LiveJournal (itsthedee) for downloadage. Anyway, here's the list, for anyone who's interested!

(And on a random note, I love that Flogging Molly has basically become Tasuki's theme song band. XD Fitting though, isn't it?)

**General **_**BW **_**Tunes (for everyone)**  
"Tooku Made (Until We're Far Away)" - Do As Infinity - has sort of become the _BW_ Opening Theme  
"It's All Been Done" - The Barenaked Ladies (gotta love reincarnation songs XD )  
"Hopeless" - KT Tunstall  
"Heroes and Friends" - Melissa Etheridge  
"These Hard Times" - Matchbox 20

**Mikako**  
"Hold On" - KT Tunstall  
"Fiction" - Emily Bindinger (mostly for the last line, _I'm living in my fairy tale_; though I think this one works a little better for Hoshi in some respects)  
"Key of the Twilight" - Emily Bindiger  
"Black & White People" - Matchbox 20

**The Seishi**  
"Momentum" - The Hush Sound (everyone: It's kind of the unofficial Ending Theme, actually)  
"Crawling towards the sun" - The Hush Sound (everyone)  
"White Bird" - KT Tunstall (everyone)  
"All I Need" - Matchbox 20 (everyone)  
"Dead Wrong" - The Fray (Riki)  
"Second Hand Faith" - Emily Autumn (Riki - don't ask me why exactly, it just fits to me)  
"Tonight, Not Again" - Jason Mraz (with lyrics like, _And I'm all by myself tonight, not again, not again_, it's perfect for Hotohori)  
"Unwell" - Matchbox 20 (Hotohori)  
"Fight the Blues" - Utada Hikaru (Nuriko)  
"For You" - The Barenaked Ladies (Nuriko, if only for the line, _An enigma wrapped in mystery / Or a fool consumed by fear?_)  
"Yuugao (Moonflower)" - Seki Tomokazu (Ren)  
"Fall Away" - The Fray (Ren)  
"The Burn" - Matchbox 20 (Ren)  
"Rebels of the Sacred Heart" - Flogging Molly (Tasuki, though it's more just the feel of the piece than the actual lyrics)  
"With a Wonder and a Wild Desire" - Flogging Molly (Tasuki)  
"Life in a Tenement Square" - Flogging Molly (Tasuki mostly, but Riki a bit as well. Look up the lyrics to this one, folks: it's seriously _perfect_)  
"Long Day" - Matchbox 20 (different parts of the song remind me of Riki, Hotohori, and Ren)  
"Soul" - Matchbox 20 (in a way it works for everyone, but I like it best for Ren and Nuriko)


	21. Kaikei Shou

**Chapter Twenty-One: Kaikei-shou (There's a Light at the End of this Tunnel… Right?)  
**"Now," Hotohori whispered. "We have to leave now." I felt him sag against me, and I automatically looped an arm around his back to support him. Nuriko strode forward to get his other side. He didn't even look at me, but just kept his wide eyes on Nuriko's face as he bunched his fist into her sleeve, tugging at her arm like a five-year old does to get his parents' attention. "Yoshimi, we have to leave _now_."

She didn't say anything, but just nodded, then glanced past him to me. I returned her nod with one of my own. "Yeah." I swallowed hard to get the knot of worry out of my throat and promised myself that Joumi – sweet, delicate, super-gentle Joumi – was tough enough to handle an illness. It was about as easy as believing in aliens, time-travelers, and espers_. _"Let's go get the others."

Tasuki and Ren both glanced up as Nuriko and I walked back into the dining hall, leading a stunned Hotohori between us. Ren's eyebrows bunched together in concern, and even Tasuki wilted a little when he saw us. "Whoa, ya'll look darker'n summer storm clouds. Whassa sitch?"

I glanced a little nervously at the other Rekkai members, then leaned in and whispered, "We need to leave right away. Arisa's sister collapsed." Ren's eyes widened, but I was paying closer attention to Tasuki. "How fast can you get packed?"

"Shi-it," he hissed, drawing out the 'I' again so it sounded more like '_sheet_.' His eyes snaked over to Nuriko. "She gon' be okay?"

"It's uncertain," she said.

He cocked an eyebrow at the pale Emperor standing between us. "Is _he_?"

"Just… a little shell-shocked," I explained, shooting a glance that was half-worried and half-annoyed at Hotohori. "Can we get moving, please?"

"Yeah, yeah, 'at's fine. I be cool t'fly in half," he said, and I had to hope that 'half' meant 'half an hour.' He stood, nodding to Genji to take care of our plates. The little Rekkai member saluted, though I didn't miss the pucker of worry on his own face. _'That's me, the magnificent miko,'_ I thought with a sigh. _'Ruining people's breakfasts at the speed of light_._'_

"Mikako," Nuriko murmured, "I shall escort Sai to our room. We'll meet you at the front doors in half an hour."

I dropped my arm from Hotohori's shoulder and waved the pair of them away, frowning as Hotohori trailed after Nuriko, his hand still bunched in her jacket. I kept getting the feeling I was watching an adult taking care of a kid, and though I was a little used to Hotohori acting like a preteen, this whole toddler routine was _really_ disconcerting. I couldn't decide if I wanted to hug him or shake him.

Tasuki frowned after the pair of them, then scratched his head and turned back to me. "So… is this chick Sai's squeeze 'r somefin'?"

And damn it, as serious as the situation was, I started laughing. Judging by the muffled noises coming from beneath Ren's down-turned baseball cap, I got the feeling he was doing the same thing. "Let's get going," I said, shaking my head and hurrying out of the cafeteria.

"'Ey, wha'so funny, na? I ain't cracked no goddamn joke!"

"We'll explain later," I told him, fighting to keep my giggles under control. Now that I'd started, it was really hard for me to stop. Sort of that coiled-spring-that-just-sprung-back-up feeling, I guess. "Just… well, let me _promise_ you that Sai and Arisa's sister, are absolutely, positively, unequivocally _not_ an item."

"An' 'at's all I gets t'know?" he cried, throwing up his arms and chasing after us. "C'moooon Mika, Ren, 'at ain't playin' square! Fuck, ya'll gots t'tell me _somefin'_, else I'm-a bust right open – _Pop_! – an' then you _both _gon' feel like shit, keepin' secrets from yo' com. You dig?"

"You gon' be a dead cat, you keep 'at up."

I screeched to a halt so fast that Tasuki rammed into me. I didn't really notice, though, because I was much too busy staring down at the seishi next to me. "Ren-kun… did those words just come out of _your_ mouth?"

"Ah!" He flushed and looked away, one hand clapped to his mouth and the other tugging nervously at his oversized sweater. "I'm so sorry, Mika-san! I guess hearing Yuu and Ken again just… er… um…"

Tasuki laughed and clapped Ren on the shoulder. "HA! I _knowed_ you couldn' fo'get yo' roots! Shit, s'like I allus says, you c'n take th' _ikko_ outta th' PJs, but you sho' 's hell can't take them PJs outta th' _ikko_. Ain't 'at right, Ren?"

Ren glanced over his shoulder to flash a quick smile at Tasuki, but the grin looked a little strained to me. I hoped that I was just imagining things. I was worried enough about Joumi as it was – I did _not_ need Ren going all mental breakdown on me for the second time in two days. Maybe my anxiety showed on my face, because Ren glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and his forced smile disappeared. "Gomen, Mika-san. I know you're in a hurry. Why don't I get our things packed up, and you can help Yuu? It might go faster that way."

"Eh?" The suggestion was so sudden that it caught me a little off-guard. "Uh, sure. All my stuff's in my suitcase already anyway. A-and don't apologize!" I added, catching Ren midway through scampering off down the hallway.

"H-hai! Sorry!" he called over his shoulder. He nearly tripped on his jeans, but somehow kept himself upright long enough to disappear around the corner.

I sighed once he was gone. "These guys are gonna give me gray hairs at this rate." Tasuki laughed and I had to chuckle a little with him. "Well, at least Ren seems perkier this morning. Oh, hey—"

Tasuki held up his hands in self-defense. "Aw, hell nah, I awready tole you I ain't spittin' nuttin' 'bout Ren if he ain't tole you first!" He stalked off down the hallway. "'Specially if you ain't gon' gimme th' sitch 'bout Sai 'n' 'at Nee-san…"

"That's not what I was going to ask!" I snapped, hurrying to catch up with him. "I just wanted to know, er…" I rubbed at the back of my head. "What the heck does 'you're going to be a dead cat' mean? And '_ikko_'? And PJs?"

I was becoming very, very familiar with Tasuki's laugh, I thought, as he cackled at me again. "C'mon, Mika. Yuu-sensei's gon' hit'chu wi' a lightnin' lesson of Sou'un Speech, One-Oh-One."

oOo

I spent the next half hour trying to forget the fact that Joumi was back at the palace passed out on a bed somewhere, and instead crammed as much Sou'un slang into my head as I could (it turned out 'dead cat' was a reference to the phrase, 'curiosity killed the cat,' '_ikko_' was short for _'itazurakko,'_ and 'PJs' was short for 'projects,' which was another word for a poor urban district). But eventually Tasuki and I finished packing and had to meet up with first Ren – staggering under both my bag and his own – and then Nuriko and Hotohori down at the front doors. One look at their grave faces reminded me that this was no time to be acting like a Sou'un tourist. I sobered up right away, and Ren went quiet again, too. In a way, I was grateful that we had Tasuki around, since he didn't know Joumi and couldn't really be upset. In another way…

"Gyaaaaah! We gon' be ridin' in _that _bird?" he gaped, staring up at the private jet that had flown out for us. "Daaaaamn, Sai, you mus' be some kinda rich mu'fucker!"

"Holy shit!" he cried, staring at the plane's menu and turning it this way and that. "They's grub on here I ain't never even _heard_ of! Th' fuck's this kanji s'posed t'mean, anyways?"

"Ch, Eiyou ain't so big," he scoffed with his nose pressed up to the plane's window. "Folks always runnin' they moufs, sayin' 's some kinda big fuckin' city, tellin' me it makes Sou'un look like a goat town. Fuck they know, na? Sou'un ain't so fuckin' small. Gon' make a sweet capital, me 'n' Ken git our way. An' Eiyou c'n jis' fuck itse'f."

…Well, some things in this world had absolutely _not_ changed at all. Tasuki's total obliviosity seemed to be one of those things.

"So where we headin'?" he asked as we stepped off the plane and Nuriko led us towards a limousine waiting at the end of the tarmac. "You got a nice pad, 'Risa? Plenty-a rooms, na? 'Cause I needs my private-sees, gots 'portant bi'ness t'take care of, can't have no one fuckin' up my shit. You dig?"

"My gods, you never shut up, do you?" Nuriko grumbled. She literally lifted him up and dropped him in front of someone in black sunglasses and a suit. I guessed he was an imperial bodyguard or something, though I didn't have much time to think about it as another one stepped up to me and frisked me without so much as a _"Pardon me, Miko-sama."_

"Eep!" I yelped as his hands tickled my ribs. "Is this – hahaha! – really necessary?"

"Standard procedure," Nuriko assured me as she ushered our silent Emperor into the limousine. "I don't expect any proble—"

"OI! Get yo' fuckin' hands out'n my pants! You flippy sumbitch, you start gettin' fresh an' I'm gon' – OW!" Tasuki glared back at Nuriko, who had finally lost her temper and flicked the back of his head – and, coming from Nuriko, that had to be like getting punched by a normal person. "Th' _fuck_, 'Risa? You tryin' t'give me brain damage'r somefin'?"

"A bit late for that," she drawled. "Now would you hold still and let these gentlemen do their job? We're in a hurry."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, turning his eyes to the sky. "Shi-it. Normal people say 'please' 'n' 'if you don' mind.' Don' go whackin' they coms in th' fuckin' head – 'ey, 'ey, 'EY!"

The bodyguards all ducked and cocked their guns as Tasuki lunged at his own frisker. I squeezed my eyes shut, half-expecting to find bits of seishi lying around when I opened them again, but instead Nuriko had sprung forward, forcefully holding Tasuki back. The bodyguard across from him scowled, holding up a gun that he must have found somewhere in Tasuki's coat. "I'm going to have to confiscate this."

"Th' _fuck_ you ain't!" Tasuki roared. "At's mine, you taintlickin' goat-fuckin' piss-drin—gurghghghghgh!"

I stifled a snicker as Nuriko cut off his windpipe. "Calm down. When I release you, explain yourself coherently."

He gurgled something that sounded a whole lot like an obscenity, but when Nuriko loosened her hold he relaxed and spoke like a normal human being again (well, as normal as Sou'un slang _could_ be, anyway). "Look. Ya'll c'n take ever'thin' I gots on me, _includin'_ my fuckin' boxers if you needs 'em, but you ain't gon' get my enkou. I gots 'at baby made special. 'S one-of-a-kind."

Nuriko let him go again. "Explain."

"Fuck that," he snorted. "How 'bouts I shows you?"

_That_ brilliant idea was throwing up all kinds of flashing red lights and signal flares for me, but before I could intervene Nuriko nodded and held out her hand. The bodyguard handed her the gun, and she handed it to Tasuki. Nuriko pointed to a tree a few yards off. "Shoot that."

He didn't reply, but instead aimed, cocked, and fired in a movement so quick my eyes only caught a blur. I think I must've whistled, but no one heard it because it was overwhelmed by an earsplitting _cracka-BOOM!_ that echoed around the tarmac. I instinctively ducked behind the limousine, but straightened again when I heard Tasuki laughing. "Shit. Ya'lls actin' like you ain't never see'd my enkou b'fore. Oh, but I guess you prolly _ain't_, has you?"

I poked my head up over the car and stared at the nearby tree. I couldn't be sure, but I was pretty much positive that my jaw hit the top of the limousine. _Something_ had blown a hole in the side of the tree, so that half of its trunk about a third of the way up was nothing but a smoking crater. And, judging by the way Tasuki was grinning and twirling his gun, I had a pretty good idea how that crater had happened. "Wha…wha…?"

He winked at me. "Like 'at, Mika? Fuck yeah, you does. Bet'chu thinkin' t' yo'self, 'I'm sho' fuckin' glad I gots _this_ seishi wi' me.'"

I was actually thinking something more along the lines of a wordless string of question marks and exclamations points, but he looked so proud of himself that I didn't have the heart to tell him that. So instead I just asked, "How did you _do_ that?"

"This," he said, pointing the gun at me. I squeaked and ducked for cover again. "Ch! C'mon, Mika! How th' hell you s'pose t'summon a god, you can't lookit one fuckin' gun?"

"How am I supposed to summon a god if _you_ blow my head off first?" I snapped back.

"I ain't _stupid_. I gots th' safety on."

"Point it somewhere that _isn't _my face or I'm not coming out."

"Fine, fine. Fuckin' wussy girls…" When I peeked out again, he had the weapon tilted over his shoulder. "You cool now? C'n I 'splain wi'out you frowin' a bitch fit?" I scowled back at him and wished I had something I could chuck at his head. He must've taken that as a sign to keep talking, because he said, "Anyways, like I been sayin', this here gun's special. Uses these, er… fuck, I 'unno _how_ it works, but they's like 'splodin' bullets, you dig? Second they hits somefin', it's all _SPRRRRRRG,_" he mimed an explosion with his hands, "an' fire 'n' blood 'n' guts 'n' shit." Tasuki grinned. "Pretty fuckin' sweet, na?"

"I'm nauseas just thinking about it," I assured him.

He looked back at Nuriko with a shrug. "So's yeah, no way in hell is I lettin' this baby get consecrated."

"Confiscated," Ren corrected from behind me. "But, um, Mika-san? Nuriko-san? Sorry to interrupt, but I _do_ think you should let him take it. Yuu's a really good shot, and you might need him to protect you sometimes, so…"

I waved his argument away. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't planning on taking away his 'baby' anyway." I smiled at both the bodyguard and Nuriko. "He's a seishi too, you know? So I think it's safe to let him keep the gun." I pointed a warning finger at Tasuki. "Just promise me you won't use it on anyone without my permission. Fair?"

"Yeah, 'at's fair. I's here t'keep yo' ass from gettin' iced. Makes sense I use my icer when you ax me to."

My eyebrow twitched at that awful 'ax,' but I bit my tongue and kept silent. I opened my mouth to suggest that we get moving, but Hotohori beat me to the punch as he stuck his head out the window and said pretty much the first full sentences we'd gotten out of him since breakfast. "Would you stop bickering and get in here? The palace is a good twenty minutes away, and I'm very worried about Ane-ue."

"Eh? Palace? Ane-ue? Th' fuck's he goin' on 'bout?"

Ren and Nuriko just sighed and hustled Tasuki into the limousine. He glared at me, waiting for an explanation, but I shook my head and waved him into silence. "Best not to 'ax' any questions right now," I suggested. "You're gonna get a big enough headache from the answers later, I promise."

At the time, I was just too worried about Joumi to figure out the gentlest way to tell Tasuki that his seishi ally was the emperor he'd been hoping to 'cap' for the last year or so. It seemed a whole lot easier to just let him figure it out on his own. Looking back, it was a pretty irresponsible way to do things, but in the long run it wound up working out okay – because, when Tasuki _did_ find out, he didn't have to be trapped in a limousine with his enemy. He had some space, to… well, let's call it 'vent his frustrations.' That sounds nicest.

"Welcome home, Heika," greeted the pair of attendants who met us near the front gates of the palace. They bowed low as Hotohori stepped out of the limousine, and the rest of us piled out behind him. "Greetings to you as well, Miko-sama, Teichou, and fellow Seishi-sama."

"Where's Ane-ue?" Hotohori demanded. Judging from the winces on the attendants' faces, I had a feeling he was ignoring protocol something fierce. I couldn't really blame him, though. "We received a call saying she'd collapsed. Is she okay? What's going on?"

The attendant on the left opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't even get a syllable out before the loud rebel behind me screeched, "Heika? _HEIKA_? Th' _fuck's_ goin' on here!"

"Oh, boy…" I muttered, at the same time Ren said, "Gomen, Yuu, but 'Sai' is just an alias."

"I don' give two shits _what_ planet he from, th' fuck they callin' him Heika fo'?"

Ren pinched his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Not alien, _alias_. It's a fake name. Suzaku no Hotohori is also His Imperial Majesty, Meigiri Toku." He touched a hand to his old friend's arm. "Sorry…"

"Fuzakeru na!" Tasuki snapped, ripping his sleeve out of Ren's grasp. "Ain't no _way_ he's ack'shly…" He hesitated, staring at Hotohori, who had glanced back a little fearfully to watch Tasuki's reaction. Tasuki held up his hands in a triangle shape, and it didn't take me long to realize that he was blocking out Hotohori's bleach-blonde hair with his hands. I braced myself as his eyes widened and his jaw just about came unhinged. "Aw, fuck." He whirled on me. "You _best_ be shittin' me, Mika."

"Nope," I said with a helpless shrug. "Sai is Toku, and Toku is the Emperor, and the Emperor is Hotohori, and Hotohori is a seishi." I drew lines in the air as if connecting each name one-by-one, then offered Tasuki a nervous smile. "I could sketch up a diagram for you if you want, but it's not gonna really change anything. Sorry 'bout that."

Tasuki's head and pointing index fingers whipped back and forth between me and Hotohori. "He's… y'mean… this mu'fucker's… but he's… and I'm his…" His fingers finally curled into fists. "Aw, fuck me. Fuck _me_!" We all jumped as he slammed his fist into the side of the limousine, leaving a nice dent in the shiny metal. He whirled on Hotohori, and our Emperor finally came out of his worry-daze long enough to look downright terrified, but at the last second Tasuki threw up his hands and whirled on his heel, stomping off across the palace grounds in a blur. "This is fuckin' _bullshit_, man! Fuck. Ing. Bull. _Shit_!"

True to his seishi power, he disappeared before any of us had a chance to respond. Not that I have any idea what that response might have _been_. There wasn't much you could say to someone when they found out that their sworn enemy was also one of their closest allies. "Er…"

"I'll go after him," Ren volunteered. "If Joumi-senpai's awake, tell her I'm sorry I couldn't be there, too."

"Thanks," I said with a strained smile. "And be careful. He looked like he was ready to blow up half the bloody palace with that enkou gun of his."

Ren returned my smile with a tiny, nervous one of his own. "Daijoubu. Yuu won't do anything that might hurt the summoning of Suzaku. He just needs to cool off. I'll bring him back when he's ready."

I thanked him again, watching as he scurried off after our very pissed-off fifth seishi. I sighed and turned back to the attendants, both of whom looked about ready to wet themselves. "Sorry. When it comes to the imperial line, Tasuki's got a vendetta the size of a walrus. Anyway, what's going on with Joumi-senpai?"

"Ah, oh, um, yes…" The attendant on the left stepped back and gestured forward with one hand. "The Imperial Princess is in her room. We thought that would be most comfortable for her. She's been… well, I'm not qualified to properly explain. I'll take you to Koubou-sensei."

"Koubou-sensei?" I repeated, and looked to Nuriko for an explanation as we set off across the palace grounds. "Is that your local doctor or something?"

She nodded, though her eyes never left Hotohori's back. "We have a full medical staff on call. Koubou-sensei is the best in Konan." She raised her voice a little to make sure that Hotohori could hear. "I am quite certain Joumi-dono has been treated well. No doubt she is feeling much better."

The attendant didn't say anything to that, which made my stomach do a little flip-flop. I didn't know much about the way things were run in the palace, but I got the feeling that the reason this guy wasn't answering questions had nothing to do with whether or not he was 'qualified.' He probably just didn't want to be the messenger who got shot for delivering bad news. I quickened my pace, and didn't miss the way that Hotohori and Nuriko both sped up as well. All three of us knew the way to Joumi's quarters, so we outstripped the attendant before too long, and soon arrived in a breathless pile at the doors.

A man in a white coat stood outside, looking pretty self-important. He bowed when he saw us, though, and opened the door without a second glance. We crammed through, Hotohori just a half-step ahead of Nuriko and me, and found ourselves facing _another_ white coat. This one bowed as well, but held up a hand when Hotohori moved towards Joumi's bedroom. "Please wait here. I'll get Koubou-sensei for you."

He disappeared into Joumi's bedroom, then reappeared a moment later with a trim, thirty-something woman in a doctor's coat and scrubs. I feel bad admitting it, but I was actually a little surprised to see a woman. I guess I'd just thought Konan – and this whole twentieth century world – was more misogynistic than that. Well, good for them, I guess.

Koubou-sensei smiled and ducked her head briefly to the three of us, though the smile never once reached her eyes. It made my stomach clench even tighter. "Heika, Teichou, Miko-sama. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Ane-ue?" Hotohori asked, and his voice was so small and frightened that Nuriko and I both instinctively grabbed hold of his hands.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "She's been in and out of consciousness since we called. She's resting right now."

"Can we see her?" I asked, shooting another nervous glance at Hotohori.

She hesitated for a second, then nodded and opened the doors to the bedroom again. Hotohori wriggled out of our grasps as he strode forward, beating us into the room again and immediately taking a seat in the chair by his sister's bed. Nuriko and I walked up slowly behind him, my eyes trailing up and down the room. They had Joumi – paler than usual, and with her eyebrows scrunched together like she was in pain – hooked up to a couple different machines, including a mask strapped across her face. I wasn't too familiar with twentieth-century technology, but I knew an oxygen mask when I saw one. One of the machines kept making Darth Vader noises, and it made me feel a little dizzy. I had to concentrate on making _myself _breathe, and almost missed Nuriko's question.

"What happened?"

"Kaikei spore," Koubou-sensei said quietly.

"_What_?"

Hotohori and Nuriko shrieked the word at the same time, but it was the unhidden shock in _Nuriko's_ voice that finally kicked my lungs back into action. I turned to stare with wide eyes at the pair, hoping I'd find some kind of answer in their eyes. The head doctor must have noticed my confusion, because she explained in a hurry. "Ah, Miko-sama, forgive me. Kaikei is a plant that grows in the ocean. Its seeds are normally harmless, but if collected and dried before taking root, the spores are deadly to animal life. They get in your lungs, and…" Hotohori moaned, but Koubou-sensei acted as if she hadn't heard him. I thought it was a little insensitive of her, to be honest. "…Well, they slowly suffocate you, basically."

I felt myself collapse into a chair, and again just barely caught Nuriko's question. "It's so rare, though. How could this have happened?"

"It was in a letter addressed from a Benovitian prince, though we quickly identified it as a fake."

"An assassination attempt, then," Nuriko hissed between her teeth. "But how—?"

The head doctor shrugged, her short hair bobbing in time with her movements. "The spores are small, rare, and difficult to identify. Security simply missed it." Nuriko's eyes narrowed, but Koubou-sensei held up her hand. "The guard responsible has been relieved of his duties. If that seems like too small a punishment to you, then know that he is _also_ being treated for Kaikei-shou at the moment. This is not the time to blame others, Teichou. The important thing right now is to look after the Imperial Princess."

"Yes, however…"

"I don't understand," Hotohori whispered. I glanced over and bit my lip, watching as his hands kept running over Joumi's pale one over and over again. He didn't look up as he spoke, though I could hear the hint of tears on the edge of his words. "Ane-ue's not supposed to deal with political correspondence. That's _my_ duty. So why would she have—?" He stopped short, and finally whirled around. The open terror in his eyes made my throat seize up. "No. Please, Koubou-sensei, don't tell me it was when—?"

"It happened when you fell 'ill' and took a holiday, leaving the imperial duties to your sister for the last two months," she finished flatly, and added, "I'm sorry," though she didn't sound very sympathetic.

Hotohori moaned again and slumped against the bed. Nuriko stepped forward, one hand stretched out like she might set it on his shoulder, but at the last second she curled it into a fist and let it drop to her side. She turned back to Koubou-sensei. "When did you find out about this?"

"A few weeks ago," she explained. "The Imperial Princess came to me complaining of difficulty breathing, and I properly diagnosed her. We began treatment immediately, though she requested that I keep the information secret from everyone else. She said she didn't want to worry her brother."

Nuriko spoke louder than usual so she could mask the sound of Hotohori's strangled sob. "What can we do? I've heard that Kaikei-shou can be cured if treated quickly. Surely there must be something—?"

"I'm sorry. I've done what I can," Koubou-sensei said, in that same flat tone that kind of made me want to hit her. It made me think that her 'I'm sorry' was a load of bull, and that she didn't really care one way or the other about Joumi, or Hotohori, or any of us. "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that we caught it early enough. Her breathing's getting worse. I plan to put her on a ventilator tomorrow if her oxygen levels don't go up by then, and to continue administering the proper antibiotics to combat the Kaikei-shou. At this point, though, there's little I can do but prolong the inevitable. It would take a miracle to cure this, now."

"Then Ane-ue… will…?"

I'd seen Hotohori break down once before, but that time had been different. He'd been half-crazy at the time, hit by those nightmares of his, and _I'd_ been too angry with him to care one way or the other. This time, though, when his shoulders started to shake and his whole body seemed to sort of crumple in on itself, the way a puppet does when you cut its strings, and I saw his hands tighten against Joumi's fingers like maybe he could _will_ her back to health… And then even _Nuriko_ looked away, pressing her thumb and forefinger to her eyes…

Well, it was just too much for me. I stood, and the room lurched as I did, but I somehow kept my balance even as the black spots around the corners of my eyes started to close in. I sped through the open bedroom door, thinking absolutely nothing but knowing that I needed to find a place where I could gulp down _real_ air, and not the awful smells of sickness and medicine and that dizzying _shii-shoo_ sound of the oxygen machine.

I don't even really know how I did it, my vision was so shot by that point, but I managed to push open the main doors to Joumi's quarters and stagger out to the terrace—

"M-Mika-san!"

"O-oi, Mika, shikarishiro!"

—And straight into Ren and Tasuki, which was great, because as soon as I got outside my legs gave out from beneath me, and I would have gone head-first into the walkway if they hadn't reached out an arm apiece and caught me. I muttered something that I don't really remember, but it must have been the right thing to say, because they dragged me to the railing and helped me lean up against it. I kept my head down, gulping in breaths until the black spots disappeared from my eyes and the scenery stopped lurching like a Funhouse from Hell.

"Ugh, how embarrassing…" I moaned to no one in particular.

"Mika-san, what happened? Is everything okay?"

I gulped down another breath and shook my head slowly. "It's Joumi-senpai," I whispered. "Kaikei-shou."

"_What_?"

"But I allus thought that 'as some kinda urban legend…"

"I dunno, but that's what the head doctor told us," I explained. "Said it was some kind of… of terrorist attack against the Emperor, or something."

I paused to take another breath, and though I didn't see what happened behind me, Tasuki's angry declaration of "Th' fuck you lookin' at me for, na? You think my _Rekkai_ gon' pull somefin' like this? Shi-it, Ren, you best think twice you think I'm-a do somefin' _that_ low!" told me that Ren had just shot him an accusing stare.

"G-gomen," he said, right on cue. "I didn't think it was really you, I just—"

"Whole fuckton-a folks out there wantin' this sumbitch emperor iced, an' some of 'em ain't so goddamn nice 's me 'n' Ken, you dig?"

"H-hai. Gomen. A-anyway," Ren went on, and I could tell he was looking at me again, "what did the head doctor say, Mika-san? They can cure it, can't they?"

I shook my head slowly, annoyed at how much effort even _that_ little action took. "She said… she said Joumi-senpai's not gonna make it. She's got time, but… I don't know how much… and Hotohori and Nuriko, they're really…"

I shuddered and squeezed my eyes shut again, more frustrated than queasy this time. Because Joumi was going to die, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do for any of them. Not for Joumi, who was pretty much the nicest person I knew in this world _and_ my own; not for Hotohori, who _had_ to be going through hell, thinking it was his fault his sister was dying; and not even for Nuriko, tough as she was, but so scared for both her emperor and her friend.

Two hands, one larger than the other, touched my back. My eyes snapped open, staring out across the palace courtyards, and slowly I felt a smile sneak onto my lips. Because no, that wasn't right. There _was_ something I could do, and it was something that _only_ I could do, too. And, right now, it was probably the only 'something' that _any_ of us could manage, for Joumi, and Hotohori, and Nuriko, too.

I took a breath. "Thanks, guys," I said to the owners of those two hands. "I'm really glad you're here. I'm gonna need your help with this next part."

"What is it, Mika-san?"

"Yeah, you jis' ax and we gon' get it f'you."

I glanced over my shoulder to shoot them a crooked grin. "I need to use the phone in Joumi-senpai's room, and I need _you_ two to help me get there. My legs are still closer to 'jelly' than 'not jelly' at this point, and I can't sit around here waiting for them to fix themselves."

Ren blinked and Tasuki cocked an eyebrow, but they both must've understood the urgency because they didn't ask questions. I shoved myself off the veranda and they caught me before I could hit the ground again, and between the three of us we made it back to Joumi's living room and down onto her couch. I grabbed the phone just as Nuriko slipped out of the back room, looking more weatherworn than I think I'd ever seen her. "Are you all right, Mikako?"

"Well, I've been better, but…" I pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of my pocket, the one that Hoshi had written her information on a few days ago, then punched in the phone number. I glanced up at Nuriko with a strained smile. "Here's some good news: we might just be able to find that 'miracle' Koubou-sensei was talking about."

"Mm? But how…?"

Before I could answer her the ringing stopped short, a receiver picked up, and the familiar sing-song voice of my best friend came pouring through the phone. "Moshi-moshi, Kasumiya Hoshi, currently of the Bu residence, speaking."

"Hoshi," I said, feeling my legs solidifying as I spoke. "It's Mika. Can you get into that Kutou Parliamentary Library that you were saying Bu-san was in charge of?"

She fumbled for a moment. I gotta admit, it always made me smile whenever I caught Plot Master Hoshi off-guard. "Er, yes, I suppose I could."

"Great. I'm on my way to the imperial libraries myself. We'll hit this thing from two directions."

"Hit _what_ thing from two directions, Mika-chan?"

"Joumi-senpai's sick, and there's no cure, so—"

"Very well," she said, as quick on the uptake as ever. "I'll search for every newspaper article I can find on strange medical occurrences and 'miracle workers' in Konan."

"And don't worry if he's not a doctor, or non-practicing, or whatever," I added. "In fact, you should probably be _expecting_ that."

"Oh, certainly. What's your phone number so I can contact you if I uncover anything?" I read it off to her, and could practically _see_ her curls bobbing in a determined nod from the other end of the line. "Excellent. I'll request Mitya's aid as well. We shall alert you to every scrap of information we discover. Please be certain to do the same for us."

"I will. Thanks, Hoshi-chan! Bye." I hung up in a hurry, then tightened my fists and sprang to my feet. "Yossha! Okay, Nuriko, Ren-kun, Tasuki, come with me. We're going to track down our Mitsukake even if we have to scour every newspaper from the last hundred years to do it."

oOo

I dragged the others through the palace with me, pretty excited about my latest Miko Mission. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that I was in a world where the internet was still considered a novelty – and where, when people said 'newspaper,' they were actually talking about physical _papers_ that carried the _news_.

"You mean I literally have to search through _every single one of these_?" I gaped, my mouth slack as I stared up at the rows and rows of dusty, oversized leather books that held all the yellowed papers from the last half century.

"Don't be silly," Nuriko assured me, gesturing to a row of metal cabinets. "Those are merely the hard copies. It will be much easier to manage if we use the microfilm versions."

"Microfilm," I repeated blankly.

"Yes. It's a fairly new system, but it's rather useful. Of course," she added with a small frown, "only one of us will be able to access it at a time, as there is only one viewing machine here. The others will have to use the hard copies."

"And we still have to search though _every single one_, don't we?" I repeated, and this time Nuriko nodded matter-of-factly, like I'd asked if it was true that the earth revolved around the sun. I held out my hands pleadingly. "Don't you have some kind of database? A search system? _Something_?"

"If you'd like to use the computer," Nuriko pointed to a nearby pile of plastic that I assumed was a computer, "you may, but it will only tell you the location of the newspapers, not what each of them contains."

"Wh-what about the internet?" I asked. "I mean, all these papers have online archives too, right?"

Nuriko met my dumbstruck gaze, totally straight-faced. "Why would anyone use a computer to read the newspaper?"

I wanted to face-vault, but I was pretty sure that doing that in real life would really smash up my nose. "Oh for the love of…" I shook my head hard. No. This was for Joumi. I had to remember that. "Okay, okay." I faced the cabinet again, clenching my fists and raising them in a challenge to the stacks. "Yossha!" I said again to pump myself up. "Let's start with the newest and work our way down! Skim the headings for anything about gifted doctors or miracle healings, we're bound to come up with something! Ready, set…" I dragged one of the oversized folder-books off the shelf, staggering under the weight. "…go…"

The others joined me willingly enough, but we all soon realized that this was going to be _much_ harder than we'd thought. First of all, Tasuki and I were both useless when it came to really complex kanji – we wound up having to ask Nuriko to write down a lot of likely kanji combinations, just so we'd know what to look for – and Ren was pretty much helpless when it came to lugging around the giant newspaper books. A few times he tried to use his flickering ki-manipulation abilities to bring them down mentally, and wound up nearly buried in books in the process. I heard so many 'sumimasen's that I thought my ears were going to start bleeding. Eventually we relegated him to microfilm only, though even then he had such a tough time with the technology that he couldn't move very fast.

Nuriko would've made the perfect research companion, but she was obviously distracted, reading over the same pages over and over again, and always glancing at her watch or at the door, as if expecting someone to come barging in and give her some news on Joumi or Hotohori. I felt bad making her work when she was so upset, to be honest, but I wasn't sure what to do. After all, there was no way Nuriko would abandon me without a good reason…

…And then I remembered my promise to Alice and felt the light bulb switch on. "Hey, Nuriko?" I called quietly, not wanting to interrupt Ren and Tasuki, who were both diligently scouring papers. "I was just thinking, Alice-chan's gonna be pissed if I keep you here. She kinda made me promise that I'd make sure you spent some time with her, and it's already late afternoon." She glanced up and I clapped my hands together in front of my face. "Do me a favor and visit her for the rest of the day, please? She'll start throwing biscuits at me again if you don't."

She hesitated, but I got the feeling it was more out of duty than actual desire. "But what about—"

"Don't worry, Ren-kun, Tasuki, and I can handle it. Oh, and write down your home phone number, okay? I'll give you a call if I find anything."

I half-expected her to keep arguing, but Nuriko must've been more worried than I'dguessed, because she just bowed, said, "Very well, Mikako," wrote down her number, and disappeared out the doors.

"That was really nice of you, Mika-san," Ren remarked after she'd left. "Nuriko-san felt really upset to me. I think she probably needed some time to relax at home."

I grinned and threw him a thumbs-up. "My thoughts exactly. So let's all work extra-hard and find something before the night's over, okay? That way Nuriko, Hotohori, _and_ Joumi-senpai can go to bed with all their worries solved."

Of course, _saying_ that and actually making it _happen_ were pretty different things, and another couple of hours passed without us finding anything useful. We were only about three years back at this point, and I was starting to realize how absolutely impossible of a quest I'd assigned to myself and my seishi. Judging by the way Tasuki and Ren were slowing up, I thought they must be thinking the same thing.

'_But I can't stop now,'_ I reminded myself as I stretched up on tiptoe to grab one of the higher newspaper booklets. _'Like it or not, this is my best bet for finding Mitsukake. So I'll just… have to…'_

My thoughts trailed off as Tasuki reached up behind me and snatched the book from the shelf, holding it out to me with a grin. "Here y'go, Shorty."

I stuck my tongue out at him for the 'Shorty' remark, but said, "Thanks," anyway, following him as he carted it over to a nearby table. "Oh, you don't have to do that. I can carry it just fine."

"Yeah, but I likes this carryin' shit better'n all this researchin' shit," he explained. "Not 'at I ain't gon' keep lookin', you needs me to, but s'hard, lookin' froo all them 'dic'lous kanji. 'Sides," he added with a crooked smile, "luggin' these bigass books ever' which way le's me get out s'm pissed-off energy I still gots kickin' 'round."

"Oh, yeah," I said with a smile that was kind of a wince. "I got so worried about Joumi-senpai that I forgot about that. How're you doing? I know you'd kinda made it your job to hate the Emperor, but…"

He hissed out air between his teeth. "I ain't gon' lie, I kinda thought I 'as gon' cap that mu'fucker when I first foun' out. But s'like, shit, I gots t'know this Hotohori guy at th' Rekkai shindig yester'night, an' he ain't so bad. S'a fuckin' shitty-ass emperor, an' kinduva dumb sumbitch, but he ain't so bad. _An'_ he a seishi, too, so…" He shrugged, leaning up against the table and looking to the ceiling. "Ah, I'll deal f'now. I'm jis' mature like 'at, I guess." He smirked down at me. "What'chu think, Mika? Thinkin' yo' fifth seishi pretty fuckin' noble, ain't'chu?"

Just as he finished talking his stomach roared out a complaint, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Right now, I'm thinking more that my fifth seishi is pretty freaking _hungry_, actually," I said, and I didn't miss the way Ren sort of looked up from his own research when he heard the word 'hungry.' I smiled at the both of them. "Hey, it's about dinnertime, isn't it? Why don't you two give Nuriko a call and see if you can't eat with her and Alice-chan?"

Ren frowned. "But what about you, Mika-san?"

I waved away his concerns. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not all that hungry right now. I'll search around for another hour or so and then meet up with you guys. Tell Alice-chan to make a little extra for me, okay?"

Ren hesitated, but Tasuki grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the library before he had a chance to protest again. "Ah, hells yeah! I been droolin' 'bout grub since we done _got_ here! Le's jet, Ren-kun! I'm-a eat so much, you gon' have t'_roll_ me t'bed…"

The door slammed shut behind them. I shook my head, but I was smiling as I did it. Having Tasuki around certainly was good for the ol' team morale, I thought. And it was so weird, how darn _similar_ he was to his old self. I made a mental note to talk to Hoshi about it later. For the moment, though, I still had a whole mess of newspaper articles to tackle.

My stomach was grumbling pretty fiercely, but I didn't let it bother me. I even gritted my teeth when my promised 'hour later' was up and kept going, telling myself that I'd go eat in 'just _five_ more minutes.'

And, about twenty minutes later, my eyes landed on a headline that made my arms shoot straight up into the air. As my hands clenched into Fists of Triumph, the phone behind me rang. It surprised me so much that I nearly fell out of my chair. I straightened in a hurry, though, and dashed over to the phone, picking up the receiver and saying "Moshi-moshi?" even though I already sort of knew who it would be.

"Mika-chan—"

"Hoshi-chan—"

"I've found him!" we both said at the same time, and then started laughing.

"What did you discover?" Hoshi asked.

"You first," I insisted.

"Oh, very well," she said with a small sigh that told me she wasn't actually all that upset. "Mitya came across an interesting article regarding a young Konan medical student who studied abroad in Kutou some seven years ago. Evidently there were a series of incidents involving this student and ill patients, where it seemed as if his treatments worked where no other doctor's would. 'Brilliant' and 'gifted,' the professional physicians raved. And yourself?"

"Four years ago," I began in an excited hurry, "a young doctor was dismissed from Eiyou Central for undisclosed reasons. It caused a big fuss, I guess, because all the other doctors who worked with him said he was 'gifted' and 'brilliant,' and thought the dismissal was totally unfair." I paused, waiting for her to say something, but when the line stayed empty with expectant silence I took a breath and said, "Okay. Since we're both too bloody nervous to talk first, we'll do it this way: on the count of three, at the same time, we'll say the name of our doctor. Fair?"

"Quite."

"Okay, then. One. Two. Three."

"Oudou Shinri!" we shouted at the same time, and nearly deafened each other with our earsplitting "kyaaaaaah!" victory squeals.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:  
**Kaikei-shou – Kaikei is the name of a plant. "Shou" simply means "illness."  
_itazurakko_ – literally "mischievous boy," it can also have the meaning of a street urchin or even a punk kid. Here, Tasuki uses a shortened version (_ikko_) to describe himself and Ren; so in this context it basically means "a kid who grew up on the streets."  
"Fuzakeru na!" – "Don't screw around!" "Don't fuck with me!" etc.  
"shikarishiro" – "Hang in there," "Pull yourself together," etc.  
"Yossha!" – "All right!" "Oh-kay!" "Let's do this!" etc.

**Names Explained!  
**Enkou （焔項）– "flame cannon." The 'model' name of Tasuki's one-of-a-kind weapon.  
Koubou（硬望）– "rigid ambition." The head doctor's family name.  
Kaikei （海茎）– "Sea Stalk." A plant that grows in warm salt water in the _UotFG_.  
Oudou Shinri (拗道　真理) – his family name uses the kanji for "crooked path." His first name means simply "truth."

**Author's Note: 12/21/08**

_(Peeks head above desk bashfully) _Um… hello, everyone.

So I suppose I should start this Note with an apology, shouldn't I? I mean, this chapter _did_ take about four months to get out… But I swear I have Good Reasons for that, I really do! The first is of course that I just survived the Semester of Suck (remember when I used to enjoy college? Ah, those were the days). The second is that I'm working on an Original Novel now, and it's sort of taking Priority One at the moment (but more on that when/if I (a) finish it and (b) get it published). But even so, as Ren would say: "Moushi wake arimasen!" _(Bows low)_

But hey, here's the Good News: I took part of NaNoWriMo to go on a week-long _BW _writing spree, so I've actually got the next two chapters written and ready to go. I'll probably post them in monthly installments, possibly bimonthly depending on how quickly I can write Chapters 24-30, which is tentatively the end of Book One of _BW_. (Er, I'll explain this in next time's Author's Note, since this ones getting a little lengthy.)

At any rate, what did everyone think of this chapter? Things have been getting a little serious, huh? And it's always doubly sad when bad things happen to such nice people, huh? Poor Joumi! Well, good thing we've got Tasuki around to keep things from getting _too_ dreary. _(laughs) _As always, I'm curious to hear what everyone thought – good and bad comments alike – so don't be shy about sending reviews or PMs! Oh… and Five Nerd Points to anyone who got this chapter's Random Anime Reference. _(grin)_

Next Time: Mikako and the gang race to find Oudou Shinri, their only hope to save Joumi. Will their search bear fruit, or will it lead to a dead end? See you next chapter!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	22. Interview with a Doctor

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Interview with a Doctor (Or: My Worst Ruse Yet)  
**After a pretty lengthy conversation with Hoshi, I met up with my trio of seishi back at Nuriko's house. Alice greeted me with a plateful of food, and Tasuki greeted me with roaring compliments about the best food he'd ever 'friggin' tasted (I saw Alice nod approvingly at him, and had to wonder if she'd given him a long-winded scolding about his language), but Ren and Nuriko both waited in silence, probably sensing the way my whole body was sort of glowing with happiness. I took a breath to keep myself from squealing out the good news – then wound up squealing out the good news anyway. "I FOUND HIM!"

Tasuki, Ren, and Alice started cheering, and even Nuriko looked a little relieved. Once the noise had died down, she asked, "Where is Mitsukake located? Should I have them prepare the airplane again?"

I shook my head. "Nope, we got really lucky. I checked the phone book, and it turns out there's an 'Oudou Shinri' living in Eiyou."

"Can we be certain it is the same man?"

"Well, no," I admitted. "But the doctor – er, former doctor – I read about studied in Eiyou, so it'd make sense if he was still living here. Besides," I added when Nuriko still looked skeptical, "we can always check the other cities and towns if this one's a bust."

She frowned, but nodded her agreement after a short moment, and we all started celebrating again. Alice practically forced me to sit down and eat at the table, though she spent the majority of her time hovering around Tasuki and asking him questions about Sou'un. I couldn't decide if she was curious about the city or curious about Tasuki. Well, he _was_ pretty good-looking, so I couldn't really blame her. I let her flirt while I mapped out our game plan with Nuriko. We both decided it'd be better to wait until the morning, and then the two of us—

"Aw hell naw, you _best_ not be thinkin' 'bout ditchin' _me_! If I gots t'stay in this palace by my 'lone self I's gon' go batshit fuckin' crazy, you dig?"

"Oh, and could I come too, please? I really want to be of _some_ help to you, Mika-san."

—Er, make that the _four_ of us – would pile into Nuriko's car and head into the city. And once we found this Shinri fellow's place?

"Well," I said slowly, because I knew the others weren't going to like it, "I think it's best if I go up by myself. Even if he _is_ Mitsukake, he might not be real willing to come with me, and I bet seeing a whole group of people there would _really_ make him feel pressured. I don't want to bully anybody if I can help it, so I'll go and talk to him myself, figure out if he's our guy, and then sorta _ease_ my way into the whole seishi thing."

"But what if he ain't—"

I waved my hands at Tasuki's words and both Nuriko and Ren's puckered foreheads. "Oh, don't worry about it! Ren-kun will be able to tell if this guy is dangerous. If he is, then we'll change the plans. And if he's not then there's no problem, right?" They didn't look convinced, so I spread my hands and added, "Oh, come on. You'll be nearby. And if Ren-kun senses that I'm in danger you can all come rushing upstairs to save the day, capes and hair blowing in the wind. It'll be _fine_. Okay?"

It took a little more persuasion, but eventually I convinced them all that I could handle myself. I wished I could've just come right out and told them that there was no _way_ a Mitsukake in _any_ reincarnation would threaten my life, but I was still reluctant to talk about my connection with their old Suzaku no Miko. And besides, when it came right down to it, did I _really_ know that was the truth?

We finished planning, then Ren, Tasuki, and I said our 'Oyasumi' to Nuriko and Alice and dispersed to our bedrooms. I got a servant to find a spare chamber for Tasuki – right next to Ren, thankfully – then the three of us parted ways, promising to meet up back at Nuriko's place around eight o'clock the next day. Nuriko had promised that she'd explain the situation to Hotohori, who'd apparently not left Joumi's bedside the entire day. I wanted to go comfort him, but just the thought of that awful room made me dizzy, so I took the coward's way out, thanked Nuriko for being so helpful, buried my head under my own pillows, and went to sleep, feeling pretty stupid – but glad that I'd been able to help the imperial brother and sister in my own way. So that was _something_, at least.

oOo

"Ohayou!" I called as I trotted up to Nuriko's house. Ren, Tasuki, and Alice stood around on the front porch – Alice hovering pretty darn close to Tasuki, I thought – so I waved to them, glancing around as I did. "Where's Nuriko? Charging the car or something?"

"Charging?" Alice repeated, tilting her head to one side in a look that was cho-kawaii. Was it just my imagination, or did Tasuki stare at her a little bit when she did that?

I scolded myself for trying to play matchmaker at a time like this and hurriedly replied, "Oh, sorry, it's a my-world thing. So where is she?"

"Well, she sort of…" Alice trailed off, and I blinked as all eyes lifted up to look at something behind me. I turned, my own eyes widening as Nuriko and Hotohori both came up the path, Nuriko looking a little peeved and Hotohori looking very tired.

"Ohayou," he greeted. His lips tried to curve upwards, but they didn't get very far before fatigue and stress pulled them back down into a frown. "Did you sleep well, Mikako, Ren-kun… Tasuki?" He _did_ manage to wince a little when he looked at our local rebel leader. I guess crippling terror was one emotion you hung on to no matter _how_ worried you were.

"Er, I guess, but…" I trailed off a little distractedly as my sleepy brain tried to work out why Hotohori was here and _not_ hovering around Joumi's bed.

"I shall get the car," Nuriko said, not even looking at Hotohori as she disappeared around the side of the house.

"Whass crawled up _her_ ass t'take s'm Z's?" Tasuki asked oh-so-tactfully. I felt my hand slap against my forehead almost out of instinct.

"Ah…" Hotohori frowned after her, then glanced back to the rest of us. "It's nothing, I assure you. She's merely… concerned about my decisions. She thinks it would be safer if I remained at the palace, rather than accompany the rest of you."

"_You're_ coming with us?" I repeated. "B-but what about Joumi-senpai? Shouldn't you stay here, with her?"

"I would be of no help to Ane-ue if I remained at the palace. Ane-ue…" I thought his lower lip might have quivered for half a second, but he set his jaw and continued. "Ane-ue is ill because of me. She is _dying_ because of _me_. I intend to take responsibility for that."

I shifted from foot to foot, scratching nervously at my arm. "Well, okay, but…" Oh, and there were so many ways to end that sentence that I didn't even know how to continue.

"I know I'm a liability," he said suddenly, and with so much honesty that I jumped a little as I jerked up to stare at him. "I am completely unable to protect myself, and I know next to nothing about life in the city. If someone discovers my true identity, they will likely attack me without a second thought. But, even so…" His fists clenched at his sides. "Even so, it is _my_ elder sister who is sick, Mikako, and I cannot simply stay here and wait for the rest of you to solve my problems for me." He stared at his feet. "I have allowed Ane-ue to do that for me for far too long as it is."

Nuriko pulled the car up next to us, rolling down her window so she could hear our conversation. I could feel her eyes watching me a little hopefully, and I knew what she wanted me to say. I was the only person who had the authority to argue with Hotohori at this point. If I said 'No,' he wouldn't be happy about it, but he'd listen to me. And, to tell the truth, 'No' was probably the _smartest_ answer. He _was_ a liability, and we didn't have time to play babysitter to a sheltered emperor right now. We had a job to do, and we had to do it fast. Having him around would just slow us down. I knew that. I really did. But, at the same time…

"Please, Mikako," he said quietly. "For once in my life, Ane-ue is the one who needs _me_. I can't let her down now. I just _can't_."

…But at the same time, the one thing I _should_ have done was the absolute last thing that I _could_ have done. Not when he said things like that.

I waved him to the car, totally defeated. "Okay, okay, fine, you can come. But if we get shot at by some crazy revolutionary again, I'm using you as my personal shield this time."

He actually kind of smiled at that.

oOo

I craned my neck up to look at the brick apartment building that loomed in front of me, trying to get a feel for the place – and for my possible sixth seishi – before I even went inside. It wasn't a brand new building by any means, but it didn't look falling-apart old, either. Judging from the other places I'd seen around Eiyou and Sou'un, I was willing to bet we were in a plain ol' middle-class neighborhood. I actually felt more confident, thinking that, because it meant that we were finally on _my_ turf. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Okay guys, I'm gonna go in and see if this Oudou-san chap is home," I said, nodding to the seishi clustered behind me. "You're welcome to wait out here for me, or you can come in, I guess. There might be some kind of apartment commons area on the ground floor where you could sit."

"We should go inside," Nuriko said, but she only looked at Hotohori when she said it, and I didn't miss the way her hand dropped protectively to the sword at her side. "You will be less conspicuous that way."

"I'm-a stay out here," Tasuki said, glancing around and shifting from foot to foot. "We all go in, people gon' think somefin' funny's goin' down."

I rolled my eyes at his paranoia, but was too focused on winning over Mitsukake to bother with him now. "Well, everyone can do what they want, just please stay close by. As for me…"

I took a breath, mentally ran over my 'cover story' for getting inside and talking to Oudou Shinri, then strode towards and through the apartment complex's front doors. I was concentrating so hard on rehearsing everything I'd say and my replies to everything that _he_ might say that I didn't even notice Ren chasing after me until he was right next to me, saying, "Um, Mika-san?" in that quiet, uncertain voice of his.

"Hm? What's up?"

"Er, well…" He tugged nervously on the hem of his too-big sweater. One of these days I'd have to ask him why he didn't get one from the palace that actually _fit_ him. "I could be wrong about this, because it's very faint, and maybe I'm just imagining it, and I'm very sorry if I _am_ wrong, because I'd hate to get your hopes up—"

"Ren-kun, no offense, but I _really_ don't have time for this."

"Ah! S-sumimasen!" He bowed low, squeaking out as he did, "It's just that there's something drawing me to this building, I can't explain it but it's sort of how I can always find you and the other seishi when I really need to, and it makes me think that this Oudou Shinri-san person… th-that he really _is_ one of the seishi. I think. Maybe. S-so…"

"So I need to be cho-careful that I don't screw this one up," I said with a crooked smile. I'd have ruffled Ren's hair if he hadn't been wearing his baseball cap again. "Thanks for the heads-up, Ren-kun. Next time, don't be so scared to tell me what you're sensing. Any advice is good advice in my book."

"H-hai! I'll remember that."

He hadn't apologized again, which felt like progress. I said another quick "See you in a few," then turned back to the task at hand. There was an out-of-service elevator and a long staircase looming in front of me, and at the top of that staircase… well, like I'd told Ren. At the top of that staircase was something I had to be cho-careful not to screw up.

I took the steps slowly, still sort of mentally prepping myself for whatever might happen next. I really had no idea what to look for, though if Hoshi was right it wasn't anything I needed to be _afraid_ of. Still, she'd been wrong about Tasuki, so there was no guarantee…

'_No time to hesitate now, Mika,'_ I snapped at myself, realizing that I'd been hovering around _Apt._ _6B _– the home of Oudou Shinri, according to the Eiyou Phonebook – for a few seconds. I took a breath and rapped softly on the door, then 'screwed my courage to the sticking place' (as my theatre-nut best friend would've told me to do) and knocked another two times, much louder now. I took a step back as the door opened, though it caught against a chain that must've been connecting the back of the door to the wall and clacked to a halt after just a few inches. My eyes stared at a loose, muddy-brown sweater, then looked up – and up a little more – to meet first a chin with a five o'clock shadow (never mind that it was only about ten AM), then a mouth with a cigarette dangling out of it, then a pair of square-framed, wire-rimmed glasses that perched halfway up a pretty standard-looking nose, and finally another pair of eyes, though these were smaller and a whole lot more confused than my own.

We stared at each other for a couple of seconds, me with what I hoped was my most cheerful of smiles and him with an eyebrow half-raised in a silent question. Smoke trailed from his cigarette before disappearing in a little cloud above his head. Somewhere behind him I heard a clock _tick-tick-tick_ing down the seconds, and was pretty sure that it was quiet enough to hear _both_ our hearts thumping away, mine no doubt going about twelve thousand miles faster than his, because I had forgotten absolutely _everything_ that I was going to say.

And then, thank the merciful Kannon, he spoke.

"I don't want any."

"Eh?" I yelped, finally shocked out of my silence. "You don't want any what?"

"Whatever it is your selling," he explained in a rumble of a baritone. "Cookies, magazine subscriptions, silverware, new-wave religions… whatever it is, I'm not interested. Good-bye."

He moved to close the door again, but my foot shot out all on its own, wedging itself neatly in the crack. "Ch-chotto!" I gritted around the sudden painful, squished-feeling radiating from my foot. "I'm not selling anything. I wanted to talk to you." He eased the door backwards again. I breathed, wiggled my toes – nothing broken, it seemed – and said in a much more composed voice, _finally_ remembering my story, "You're Oudou Shinri-san, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, great!" I squealed, and didn't even have to try that hard to sound excited about it. "My name is Kasumiya Mikako, and I'm in this careers class at my high school, where we're supposed to do research on different things we'd like to study in college. One of the things we have to do is interview people from the professions that we're interested in. _I_ want to be a doctor, and my mom remembered your name from some newspaper articles a while back."

His eyes widened a little at my story, but then drooped again into that half-bored, half-sleepy look. "I don't practice anymore."

"Oh, I know that!" I assured him, waving my hand like I was brushing away his excuses. "But my mom said that you were the very best when you _did_ practice, and me, I really want to talk to the very best." He didn't say anything to that. He didn't close the door either, though. I shifted nervously from one foot to the other, clasping my hands hard behind my back. "Is it, um… all right if I come in and ask you a few questions?"

The hallway filled with that same stifling silence for another long moment as I waited for his answer. I bounced up and down on the balls of my feet, keeping my eyes on his and trying to read his thoughts. I couldn't get much, to be honest. The way he just stood there, sorta studying me over his glasses, it kind of reminded me of how my friend Akane's cat watches newcomers when they first come to the door. Like he didn't _really_ care about me one way or the other, but couldn't help but wonder why this new thing was running around his house.

"So, um…?"

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, rolling it between thumb and forefinger. "Okay. Come on in." His hand reached up behind the door, and the next moment the little chain connecting the back of the door to the wall came dangling loose. He opened the door all the way, using the hand with the cigarette in it to gesture me inside. "Have a seat. I've got coffee going in the kitchen. You want a cup?"

"No, I'm okay," I said, feeling a little nervous as I walked through the door and he shut it behind me, effectively cutting off my escape route. I consoled myself with the thought that Ren could feel my ki loud and clear, and that Nuriko and Tasuki were just a few gunshots away. And well, maybe I was too trusting in my own instincts, but nothing about this guy was sending up warning flares for me. If anything, he seemed too darn _bored_ to want to hurt me.

"I really got lucky," I remarked as I sat down on my potential Mitsukake's couch, grinning as I sank so far into the plushy cushions that my feet nearly flew up off the floor. The man knew comfort, I had to give him that. "I was a little afraid that you'd be at work."

"I work from home," he told me, rounding the corner of the kitchen with a steaming mug in his hands. "I'm surprised to see _you_ here, too. Were classes cancelled today?"

I hoped he didn't see me tense up for a second. I cursed myself for not being a better actor, but I was at least getting better at this spur-of-the-moment lying thing, because I quickly said, "Oh, no, we have class. I just got my careers teacher to excuse me for the day." He didn't reply, but just took a seat and sipped at his coffee. I had to fight back the urge to say, _"Are you buying _any _of this?"_ I kept up the pretense, though, since I couldn't very well stop _now_, and quickly changed the subject back to him. "So you work out of home, huh? What do you do?"

"Contraband," he said absent-mindedly, his eyes mostly on his coffee and his tobacco.

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. "Eh?"

"Drugs, mostly. Heroin, opium, a little marijuana on the side. As a go-between I only get a twenty-percent cut, but hell, it pays the bills so I'm not complaining."

Now I was pretty sure that my _eyes_ had gotten wide enough to hit my hairline. "Ah… oh… I… I see…"

"Also," he added, gesturing upwards with his cigarette. "'Gullible' is written on the ceiling."

And in 0.5 seconds flat my eyes had gone from rice bowls to narrowed slits. That _had_ to be some kind of record. "Am I supposed to laugh?"

"You can," he allowed. I kept glaring at him, and while it didn't seem to really _bother_ him, he did finally flick the ash off the end of his cigarette into a little tray on the coffee table between us and say, "Seriously, I work for Riverside Mutual."

"What's that?" I asked a little distractedly. Now that he'd started talking seriously, I found myself drawn back to the cigarette he kept moving around. My dad smoked these really delicious cigs that tasted just like blueberries, and a couple of my older friends would go to hookah houses on the weekends sometimes, but I'd been told by just about everyone over forty that all that was _nothing_ like the cigarettes I saw in classic movies. _No one_ made those kinds anymore, so I couldn't help but be fascinated by it. I wondered what it was like. It had to be something delicious, the way he was hanging onto it, and the way people smoked them in the old movies all the time.

"Did you… hear me?"

"Eh?" I glanced back up at Oudou-san. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine. My job puts _me _to sleep pretty regularly, too."

"Oh, no, that wasn't it!" I assured him, and I glanced at the trail of smoke again. "It's just, er… I was only…"

His eyes flicked from the cig and then back to me. He shrugged. "Eh, you look old enough to make your own mistakes. You want one?"

"Oh, well, I'd like to try it at least…"

He set his own cig down on the ashtray, then rifled around in the pocket of his pants before pulling out a pack. He dragged another cig out, lighting it before handing it over to me. "Douzo."

"Thanks." I studied it for a moment, then figured it must work like the ones my dad smoked, put an end to my mouth, and gave it a nice long puff.

"Gaaagh!" I gasped not half a second later, pressing my free hand to my mouth as I coughed, spluttered and choked around what felt like a mouthful of kitchen-fire smoke. If my lungs could've screamed, I'm pretty sure they would've been screaming. I held the cig as far away from my body as possible, jerking my head up and staring at Oudou-san with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Wh-what the hell is _in_ this thing?"

"Cancer, mostly," he said with the flicker of a sardonic smile. Man, if this guy's sense of humor got any drier, my hands were going to start chapping. He took the cig from my willing fingers, grinding it out in the ashtray. "You seem surprised."

"I _am_!" I cried. "I thought it'd taste _good_, the way you were treating it like your best friend!"

He shrugged. "Tastes good to _me_." I stared at him in disbelief, but he just went right on draining his own cig into ash, like it was the yummiest thing on the planet. "You wanted to ask me some questions, right?"

I coughed a couple more times, just to get the taste of – what _was_ that taste, anyway? It reminded me of the way the air smelled after they'd just put new asphalt down on the highways – out of my mouth, then rifled through the list of questions I had in my head and decided to start with the innocent ones. Where had he gone to medical school? Which schools did he think were the best? What was the most difficult thing about it? And so on. His answers were stunted, and I didn't really understand them, but it didn't seem to matter as long as I kept him talking and got him comfortable with talking to _me_.

After a while, I got the sense that he was feeling more-or-less relaxed. I was edging my way towards the tougher questions – and the ones that might let me figure out if this 'brilliant doctor' really _was_ Mitsukake, or just a strange coincidence – when a _skish, skish, skish_ noise caught my attention.

"Oh, hell," Oudou-san muttered. "'Scuse me for a second."

He stood and moved towards the nearby, curtain-covered window. He drew back the drapes and my eyes just about popped out of my head as I saw what looked like an army of cats clustered around the window, one of them with his paw _skish, skish, skish_-ing along the glass. "Wow," was the best word to describe it. "Do you… um… are they yours?"

He sighed, leaning down to a cabinet by the window and pulling out a bag of cat food that I was pretty sure weighed half as much as me. "Word of advice, Kasumiya-san: _Never_ feed a stray. They tell their friends, and their friends tell _their _friends, and the next thing you know you're under feline siege."

I stifled a giggle as he opened the window and the cats struck up a chorus of pleading mews and yowls. "You _could_ just stop feeding them, you know."

He grunted something incoherent and leaned out the window. I couldn't tell where he was pouring the cat food, but I had to guess that there was some kind of monstrous bowl on the other side of the sill, because all the cats jumped down and immediately hushed up, probably because their mouths were too full of their meal.

Oh, yeah. This _had_ to be Mitsukake. I fought back the urge to jump up, grab him by the arm, and drag him out the door so he could say 'hi' to his seishi family. _'Just because he's a seishi doesn't mean he's a _willing _one,' _I reminded myself. _'Remember Riki? And Nuriko? Hell, even Ren-kun and Tasuki, in their own ways? You _can't_ mess this one up even a little bit. For Joumi-senpai's sake, you've gotta get it right from the very start.'_

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

"If you want to fill a pitcher with water, it'd be a big help. There's one in the kitchen, bottom cupboard on the right."

I followed his directions and found the pitcher without any trouble. I filled it to the brim, then staggered back to the window and handed it over. I leaned my head out the window, grinning as he dumped the water into a swimming pool-sized bowl. Some of the cats dove right in, but the others still sat, waiting in line for their turn with the food dish.

Mitsukake – I had started thinking of him by that name the moment I saw the cats – sighed, patting the cat army's shogun on the head as he turned away from the window again. "Happy now, you little terror?" He grumbled the words, but I didn't miss the way the side of his mouth cracked up in a tiny smile as he said it. "_'Taku_, I'd've been better off letting you starve."

"Nya-o," the cat mewed back, unrepentant just like all cats ought to be, then leapt off the sill and dove into the food with his friends. Mitsukake shook his head and closed both window pane and drapes again, moving back to the couch.

I watched his back for a couple of seconds, hesitant, uncertain if this would be the best time to dive forward. But he seemed most at ease right now, and anyway, if I didn't get up the nerve and start talking then I never _would_. I took a breath and crossed my fingers, hoping this wouldn't backfire. "Um, Oudou-san? Can I ask… why, exactly… you lost your medical license?"

He glared back at me, and for a second I caught something like actual caring in his eyes. "I didn't lose my license. I was dismissed from Eiyou Central, and then I quit practicing."

I held up my hands in defense. "Okay, okay, sorry for saying it wrong. So why did you get _dismissed_, then?"

He glanced back out the window again, and I heard more than saw him take a long draw from his cigarette – his second since I'd gotten there, actually. He didn't turn back to look at me, and for a second I was afraid that, even though I'd taken it slowly and sort of worked my way up to the hard stuff, I'd somehow _still_ messed this up. I opened my mouth to apologize, but Mitsukake finally spoke just as the words were on my tongue.

"I got mixed up with a nurse at the hospital," he said, staring into his coffee.

I blinked. I'd been expecting something a lot more dramatic. "Is that not allowed?"

"It's not _illegal_, but it is frowned upon. When we got caught, the hospital's head doctor told us it was unprofessional and that she wouldn't stand for it. Probably wouldn't have mattered, really, except that the head doctor couldn't stand either of us. Told us to break it off, and I, being the best at Eiyou Central and, quite frankly, kind of an arrogant idiot, told her I'd sooner quit than break it off. So she had us both dismissed." He glanced up just long enough to take a very long draw from his cigarette, then looked away again. "It's a stupid story."

"Couldn't you have just gone to another hospital?"

He shrugged. "I was disgusted with the system. Still am, I guess. 'Sides, with all this free time I have now, I can finally get around to writing my novel."

I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, so I decided not to comment on it. "But what happened to the nurse? You two are still together, right?"

He kept his eyes on his coffee, face as unconcerned as ever. "Nope. Shouka and I broke up a little while after that."

My eyes snapped open at the name 'Shouka,' and I had to bite down hard on my lip to keep from saying something that would make me sound like a Class-A Wacko. I forced my face back to blankness and just said, "Ouch. That's rough."

"_C'est la vie,_" he said with a wave of his hand. "_La vie es merde_."

I didn't know French, but I knew enough that I could recognize the language. I made a mental note to ask Nuriko later what the _Shichijin_-equivalent of 'France' was. "What does that mean?"

"Something bitter," he said shortly, studying the long tail of ash on the end of his dying cigarette.

I realized that I wasn't going to get a better explanation out of him, so I gave up and went back to the main subject. "Do you miss it? Working in the hospital, and helping people, I mean?"

"I cry myself to sleep every night," he drawled. "My only comfort: the binge drinking."

"Be serious," I demanded, and didn't care at all that I was being snappy with someone who was at least ten years older than me.

His eyes narrowed a little over his glasses. "Is this relevant to your interview, Kasumiya-san?"

"Of course it is!" I shot back, improvising like a real pro for once. "If a genius doctor like you could quit, then who's to say that_ I_ won't do the same thing? I need to know if it's really worth it for me to go to medical school or not."

He shrugged again. It was starting to feel like his silent catchphrase or something. "I work at home so that I don't have to deal with other people. That ought to answer your question."

He wasn't meeting my eyes. Mitsukake was absolutely _not_ meeting my eyes. I was no expert on body language, but I had a pretty good idea what that meant. "You _do_ miss it," I said suddenly, so suddenly that I finally got him to jerk his head around and actually look at me again. "You miss helping people who really need it. People only you can help. That's why you don't chase the Cat Army away, isn't it?"

"…No," he murmured after a pause so long I'd started to feel downright uncomfortable. "That's not the same thing. Those cats remember when you do something good for them." He ground his cigarette out into the ashtray with a shade more force than he probably needed. "People, though? People are a different story."

He guarded it like a starving dog guards it dinner, so it wasn't very obvious, but even so, I thought that I could hear something beyond apathy in his words. It felt a whole lot like anger. It made me wonder just how badly that hospital doctor had treated him – and just how badly Shouka's break-up had hurt him.

"Listen, Oudou-san," I began, gentler than I had all evening. "I think I understand what you mean. But, even so, I think—"

_Thunk-thunk thu-thunk._

I snapped off halfway through my sentence, and both Mitsukake and I stared at one another, blinking, and maybe trying to figure out what the heck was making such a racket right in the middle of our cho-personal conversation. But then the knocking came again, and we both craned out heads around to look at the front door.

"Is that for you?" he asked, standing and moving across the living room.

"Why would it be?"

He shrugged. "Well it can't be for me. I don't have friends."

It was sort of sad how nonchalantly he said that. "Maybe they're selling something," I suggested with a forced smile. "Cookies _and _new-wave religions, all wrapped together with a big pink bow."

"My heart leaps with joy," he grumbled, opening the door to that six-inch crack again. "Hello?"

"Is Mika a'ight?" a voice that I knew very well asked from the other side. "We been waitin' outside f'a dragon's age, an' we 'us startin' t'fink you done stole her."

My teeth gritted together. Damn it, Tasuki, why did you have to go and _care_ about my safety? And I was so close to mentioning Joumi, too! I stood and moved to the door, but before I could call out a greeting Mitsukake had to go and open his smartass mouth.

"Stolen, sold, and shipped to Sairou. I imagine she'll make a good housekeeper, once her master beats the sass out of her, anyway."

I put on an extra burst of speed and arrived at the door just as Mitsukake finished his straight-faced – and _incredibly_ dangerous – little joke. I shoved him out of the way, which was pretty impressive considering he had to weigh at _least_ one-and-a-half Mikakos, throwing my arms up and waving them in Tasuki's face. "H-he's just kidding! I'm right here!"

My eyes trailed to Tasuki's hands, one of which was dangerously close to the gun hiding under his jacket. I thanked every god in the Mikako Directory that I'd moved fast enough. _The Miko's Seishi Killed Each Other over a Sarcastic Quip_ was _not_ the way I wanted the history books to remember my time in Konan.

Tasuki relaxed considerably when he saw me, though the irritated quirk in his eyebrows refused to go away. "Gods, kid, you takin' f'ever! Ren's 'bout t'go zontal, he so worried." I didn't have time to ask what 'going zontal' meant at the time, though I found out later that it was short for 'going horizontal,' which meant he was literally going to collapse from worry. Sou'un slang sure was clever. "E'en them other two's chewin' on they lips, actin' all jumpy 'n' shit. Th' hell, Mika? You bakin' cookies wi' this fucker 'r what?"

I knew Tasuki was just being concerned in his own tactless sort of way, but even so, I had never wanted to punch someone so badly than I did at that moment, and I was _including_ Riki in that statement. I mean, did he _really_ think banging on someone's door, intruding on their home, and then calling them a 'fucker' was going to make a good impression?

My face was red enough to put a tomato to shame as I turned back to Mitsukake. "S-sorry, Oudou-san. Keishi-kun, he's a friend from class. A bunch of us came out together, figuring it'd be safer to travel in a group 'n' all, and we're going to each person's interview stop one-by-one. Keishi-kun's, um… a little protective… and sort of rude… and kind of an idiot, so…"

"Shi-it, 'at's a fine fuck-you-very-much f'th' guy who's promised t'follow yo' ass 'round collectin' sei – OW!"

"_Very_ rude, I should have said," I corrected as I removed my heel from Tasuki's shin. "Again, I'm really sorry. Um…" I debated whether I should send Tasuki back downstairs or not, but decided that it worked out better if I just excused myself. This way, I'd give Mitsukake a night to think about his old doctoring days, and then maybe he'd be more willing to save Joumi.

Oh, and summon Suzaku, of course.

"Is it all right if I come back tomorrow around the same time?" I asked.

"Is there more to talk about?"

"Sorta," I said with a nervous giggle. "I feel like we got a little off-track there at the end. I apologize for that. I really shouldn't have asked such intrusive questions."

"It's fine," he said. "Most of my answers were lies anyway."

I glared back at him. "You know, if you keep saying things like that with a straight face, I'm going to start thinking that _everything _you say is a lie."

"That's probably healthy," he agreed. I felt my lips purse irritably, but he waved those away like he did everything else. "It's fine. You can come back tomorrow. It's not as if I'll be _out _or anything."

"Thanks," I said with a quick smile, then turned back to Tasuki. "Ready, Keishi-kun?" He scowled at me but didn't try to open his big mouth this time. Fast learner, this one. I marched past him and toward the staircase.

"Oh, and Kasumiya-san?"

Mitsukake's voice stopped me mid-march. I looked back over my shoulder, my eyebrows raised. "Mm?"

He shoved another cigarette into his mouth, watching me over the top of his glasses with that same detached curiosity that he'd given me all morning. "Tomorrow, when you come back, how about you tell me the _real_ reason why you sought me out?"

I thought about playing dumb, but gave it up almost immediately. There didn't seem to be much of a point to this high school charade anymore, anyway. "Okay," I agreed with a resigned sigh and an _"Oops, you caught me" _smile. "I'll do that."

Mitsukake nodded, watched me for another half-second – and this time I could've sworn there was the tiniest hint of the tiniest twitch of the tiniest, most skeptical, most puzzled smile at the corner of his mouth – before he took a step back and reached out with one hand, closing the door between us.

"He ain't comin' wit'chu?" Tasuki asked once the hall had fallen into silence.

"Not yet," I said, turning back to the staircase. "He seems pretty reluctant, so I'm gonna have to coax him a little bit. Tomorrow, I'll start talking about Joumi-senpai, and from there I should be able to address the whole seishi thing, too."

"You think he gon' he'p us out?"

I considered that from the top of the sixth floor to the bottom of the fifth, then allowed myself a tiny nod. What the heck, I might as well feel confident for once. "As long as I approach it from the right way, then yeah, he'll come along. At first he seemed really apathetic, and then he seemed really bitter, but by the end he just seemed sort of…" I had to hop down another flight of stairs before I thought of the best word. "Well, _lonely_, I guess. So I think he'll help us out. I think, deep down, he probably _wants_ to help people out. Maybe we'll just be a good excuse for him to start doing that again."

"An' if we ain't?"

I spun around at the bottom of the third-floor staircase and flashed a grin. "Well, there's always Persuasion-chan."

"Persuasion-chan?"

"Yep!" I agreed with a far-too-cheerful nod. "That's what I've decided to call that little enkou gun of yours."

Tasuki's mouth split into a wide grin. I guess he approved of the nickname, too.

* * *

**Japanese (and then some) Terms:  
**Douzo – In this case, it basically means, "Here you go"**  
'**Taku – short form "mattaku," which means "for heaven's sake," "good grief," etc.**  
**"C'est la vie… la vie es merde" – a delightful bit of cynical French that means "Such is life… life is shit." Many thanks to cynical friend Joe for giving me this phrase a couple years ago.

**Author's Note: 2/20/09  
**Hi everyone!

So it looks like I'm managing to make my bimonthly due dates again, at least for a little while. I've worked out a schedule this semester that allows me some time to write (possibly at the expense of my grades, but really, grades are highly overrated), so I should be able to keep things running smoothly until the summer.

But hey, enough about my schedule – what did everyone think of the chapter? I hope you got a nice first impression of Mitsukake (the first thing my beta said? "Mitsukake is my new favorite."). I've been sitting on this character (and his drier-than-sand sense of humor!) for over a year now, so I'm _very_ excited to finally be able to introduce him to everyone else. So, as always, let me know what you thought!

Now, in the last chapter I mentioned that I wanted to finish up "Part One" of _Broken Wings_, so I thought I'd discuss that a little here. The thing is, _BW_ is a story with a mind of its own. I began with one plot, and slowly two plots developed out of it, and the story has become considerably more complex than I'd originally intended. I'm actually curious to hear opinions on this, because there are two ways I can write_ BW_: the short way, which addresses the original plot (runs one fic, about 30-40 short-ish chapters), or the long way, which uses both the original plot and weaves it into a much broader, much more epic second plot (I'll split the story into two fanfics which, all together, will run about 50-60 short-ish chapters). I think I'm willing to write either version at this point, so it really just depends on you readers – how much _BW_ action, suspense, drama and romance (yes, it does eventually happen) do _you_ want to read? So hit me with all thoughts, comments and opinions, good or bad, and I'll start figuring out the future of this spunky little 'fic.

**Next Time: **Trouble comes knocking at the hotel door, and, as usual, it's armed to the teeth. Can Mika keep everyone alive long enough to meet up with Mitsukake again? See you next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


	23. Night Flight

**Chapter 23: Night Flight (Just Wake Me When It's Over)  
**Since we were still trying to be incognito, we opted not to go back to the palace for the evening. Instead, Nuriko found a hotel just a few blocks away that _didn't_ look like the kind of place where they might stuff dead hookers under the mattresses, and we checked out a pair of connected rooms for the evening. Nuriko and Hotohori shared one room, of course, with Ren, Tasuki, and me in the other. The three of us got into a loud but not particularly violent argument about who would share beds with who (whom?), until finally Nuriko got sick of it and ordered a cot up from the main desk. Ren fit perfectly, and that was that.

We spent the evening wandering the area – apparently we were in the Koshi District, which was famous for unique shops and restaurants during the day and drug trafficking during the night – in an attempt to cheer up our stressed, quiet, and all-around depressing Emperor, but as the sun started to sink we gave up and headed back to the hotel. I assured everyone again and again that by noon tomorrow we'd have a miracle doctor with us, and with that promise weighing on all of us we turned off the lights and went to bed.

I was tired, but I couldn't get myself to sleep. Ren and Tasuki passed out early, but when I put my ear to the door I could hear the television running in the other room, so I knocked and let myself in, a little relieved to find both Hotohori and Nuriko still awake. They weren't the ideal hang-out companions, but it beat staring at a darkened ceiling for hours.

"Hey," I greeted. "Mind if I come in?" Nuriko waved me in, so I took the invitation. "Can't sleep?"

"Heika is concerned about his sister," Nuriko said, which in Nuriko-speech probably meant something like _"I'm concerned about Heika."_

"How can I sleep when Ane-ue is in so much pain?" he moaned. I looked over at him and frowned a little when I saw him with his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around his knees. He looked like a little kid, which was about the same way he'd looked since we'd found out about Joumi.

"Don't worry so much," I said. "I'm gonna get Mitsukake back to the palace even if I've gotta hold him at gunpoint to make it happen. Joumi-senpai's gonna be fine. Really."

He shook his head. "But even so, after what happened…"

"Ugh," I groaned, plopping down on the end of Hotohori's bed. "Look, yeah, what happened _was _basically your fault. But that's no reason to keep beating yourself up about it. We're gonna fix it now, and you're here to help," '_Though _how _I'll never know,' _I added silently, "so it's gonna be fine. Live and learn, right? Just think of this as part of your emperor training."

Hotohori snorted. "Some emperor _I_ am. Can't even look out for the one person who gives a damn about me."

Nuriko stiffened on the opposite bed. I don't think Hotohori noticed, but I did. "Hey," I said, punching him lightly in the knee, "no pity parties allowed. There're lots of people who give a damn about you. _I _give a damn about you, right?"

"That's different," he muttered. "You're the miko."

"_And_ your friend," I added, and was surprised to realize that I meant it. As infuriating as the guy could be, somewhere along the way I'd stopped thinking of him as the 'Koutei-baka' and had started thinking of him as 'Hotohori,' a real guy with, sure, a lot of flaws, but some good points, too. Like how much he loved his sister, for instance.

"But even so," he shot back, "you don't have any _real _faith in me, do you?"

"Not especially." I winced as soon as I said it, but what could I do? His question had been so blunt and out-of-nowhere that the answer popped out of my mouth honest and unformed, without giving me a chance to shape it into something that wouldn't hurt so much. "B-but I'm working on it," I added hastily. "I mean you've gotten a lot better, and I can see you _trying_, so… er…"

Hotohori barked out a humorless laugh. "You don't have to force yourself, Mikako. I'm well aware of what you think of me. You told me so yourself. And I appreciate your honesty, I truly do. But…" He frowned, burying his mouth into his knees. "Ane-ue was different. Different from you. Different from the Council Members. Different from Haha-ue… and Chichi-ue." His head drooped at the mention of his father, so that all I could see was his hair. "Ane-ue… she was the only one who ever actually _believed _in me. And now, to betray that trust… to let _this _happen to her… it's…"

The television clicked off abruptly behind me. I turned, surprised to see Nuriko slam the remote control against her nightstand, then throw the covers over her head and roll over so her back was facing us. "It seems that I am tired after all," she said in a tone that was distinctlysharper than usual. "I'm going to sleep. Good night."

"Oh…" I stared at her back for a moment, then glanced at Hotohori. I could practically _see _the Doom Waves emanating off both of them, though for two completely different reasons. I sighed and decided it wasn't worth the energy to fix _this _particular mess, not after the long days I had both behind and ahead of me. I'd put it on the 'To Do' list for now, and deal with it _after _I'd gotten Mitsukake to join our dysfunctional little family. "I guess I'd better go back to my room, then." I patted Hotohori's knee. "Try to get some sleep. And, hey, chin up, all right? Joumi-senpai's gonna be just fine."

He didn't have an answer, but I hadn't really expected one. It seemed to me that he just needed to stew in self-loathing for the night. Maybe it would even do him some good, in the long run. I shook my head at the pair of them and went back to my room, closing the door between us. _'Sometimes those two make _Ren-kun _look low-maintenance.'_

I tried to fall asleep again, but _that _plan was a bust. I wound up flipping on my PSMini and playing around with that, then when the power started to run low I walked over to the window and stargazed for a while. I _wanted _to sleep, but I just couldn't get my mind off of Joumi, and Mitsukake, and all the things that I had to do right in the next 24 hours.

'_What? You thought being the Miko would be _easy_?'_ I scoffed to myself, flopping down in my bed again and staring mournfully at the blinking lights of the digital clock between my bed and Tasuki's. _'4 AM. At this rate, I'll scare Mitsukake off with my bloodshot eyes. Brilliant. I'm gonna—'_

My rambling, insomniac thoughts were cut off by the sound of shuffling outside the window. I tensed in my bed, far too used to Konan violence to believe that it was just a stray dog sniffing around for food. We were on the ground floor. And guess whose bed was closest to the window?

My eyes snapped open as I caught muttered voices on the other side of the wall. I slipped out of my bed like a spy in a bad action movie, hitting the floor on the other side and just about jamming all the fingers on my left hand. I whispered a curse to no one in particular, wishing I could be _smooth _for once, then reached up with my undamaged hand and tugged at Tasuki's pajama sleeve. "Psst. Tasuki. Wake up. There's someone outside, and I—"

"Shut up. I hear 'em," he hissed back, rolling off his bed and landing with catlike grace next to me. Stupid seishi and their physical perfection. "I'm-a sneak 'round 'n' get Ren. Me 'n' him'll see wha's up. You jis' 'lax here, an' we'll—"

But all our plans flew out the window, which was easy for them to do seeing as how someone had just smashed all the glass _out _of our window. I screamed and Tasuki swore, grabbing my arm and vaulting us over his bed. He shoved me back against the wall just as Ren dropped down beside him, knives at the ready.

My memory gets real choppy after that. It was like the chaos made my brain devolve, so that when I think back to those frantic moments, all I really get are photographic snapshots instead of a running film. I know gunshots flooded the room, because I clapped my hands over my ears to keep from being deafened. I know Ren was standing in front of me, shielding me with that tiny body of his, and that Tasuki was crouched in front of him, using the bed like a blockade or something as he leaned over it and fired back lightning-fast at the attackers. There was maybe a half-second of silence as he dropped the first wave, then we heard the gunshots coming from the room next to ours.

Next thing I knew Hotohori and Nuriko were crouched down with us, though how they got there I can't remember. Then Nuriko and Tasuki were barricading the door between our rooms with Ren's cot. Hotohori was next to me, curled up against the bed with his head between his knees and his hands over the top of his head, making these "Oh gods" noises over and over again. I was a little disgusted since I had to compare _his _reaction to the rest of my ready-for-battle seishi, but at the same time I couldn't be _really _mad at him. After all, these attackers were after hislife. Not to mention that seeing him like that made me feel a whole lot better about my own turned-to-ice reaction.

During the rain of gunfire that filled the next I-don't-know-how-much-time, the only distinct moment I can remember was when a bullet whizzed into the wall beyond us – and then suddenly the wall had exploded, sending plaster and paint raining down on us. I kept from panicking, but only just barely, and I'm pretty sure I had to grab onto Ren to keep myself together.

"Gods fuckin' _damn_ it!" Tasuki roared from somewhere to my right. "How the fuck – how the fuck_—_!"

"I thought your enkou was one-of-a-kind," Nuriko said, somehow still calm and reserved. I was really beginning to worry about her sanity.

"It _is_!" he snarled. "Jun made it – that motherfuckin' cocksucker done said he made it special fo' – that cum-guzzlin' assfucker sold th' fuck out! When I sees that sumbitch agin I'm gon'... fuck, fuck, _fuck_!"

He punctuated each obscenity with another shot, and whether it was Tasuki's fury or the gang had just figured out that they weren't going to take us by surprise, whoever-it-was backed off to regroup. The room fell into a nasty silence. Nuriko and Tasuki knelt behind the bed, guns at the ready, Ren just a step behind them. The lull gave me time to work through my shock, though Hotohori didn't once move from what I was starting to think of as his 'duck and cover' pose. "Is everyone okay?" I asked, though I could barely hear it over the hammering of my pulse in my ears.

"Unharmed," Nuriko said, and Tasuki and Ren jerked nods to agree with her. "Though I fear that may not last. I believe we are surrounded."

"We are," Ren said, and as if to second his notion our front door rattled with gunshots.

"Well we sure's fuck can't stay _here_," Tasuki snapped, catching sight of an attacker through the window and letting off a shot. We heard the now-familiar _kracka-BOOM_ of his enkou tearing through flesh. I'd have felt like vomiting if I hadn't been so keyed up. "Gon' get trapped like rats, we does 'at. We gots t'jet."

Nuriko rotated and fired through our Swiss cheese door. Someone screamed and the gunfire stopped for another brief moment. "And have an entire terrorist faction chasing us? That's a poor solution."

"Then what do we do?" I asked, ready to hear anything just so long as it would keep us from getting shot at anymore. I did not like the idea of looking the way our door was starting to look.

Tasuki and Nuriko glanced at each other, and I got the feeling that a whole lot passed between them without me understanding it. Ren nodded. '_Oh great, my seishi developed a secret code while I wasn't looking_,' I thought, a little surprised that I could feel snarky at a time like this. _'Next there'll be special handshakes and passwords and they'll never let the Miko play with them…' _I was so frightened that I almost giggled aloud at the ridiculous thought, but Tasuki snapped me back to reality in a hurry.

"Mika, how much you weigh?"

"About fifty-four," I stammered, too scared to be annoyed at the question.

"I c'n handle 'at." He shifted so that his back was facing me. "Grab on. I'm-a play horsie f'you. Feel lucky. I don' do shit like this f' jis' _anyone_."

There wasn't time for questions, and anyway I had too many to figure out which one to ask first. So I just nodded and looped my arms over his back, locking them just below his breastbone. Behind me, Nuriko said, "Lure away as many as possible. I will deal with the rest and follow shortly. If we can, we will meet at Oudou-san's residence. If not there, then the palace."

"An' if not there, Suzaku's shiny gardens," Tasuki said, and though I couldn't see his face I got the feeling he was grinning at that. "You ready, Ren?"

"Hai."

"A'ight. Slash 'n' Dash."

"Hai."

"As f'you, Mika: hang on tight. We gon' fly."

He sprang to his feet, hitched my legs up around his waist, and – well, then we flew. I gasped as the air whistled past me and tightened my death grip around both Tasuki's waist and shoulders, though I was careful not to strangle my 'ride.' We barreled through the front door, Tasuki's enkou blazing out a path for us. I saw a splatter of blood and decided I didn't want to see anymore. I buried my head into his jacket and tried to think away the screams and gun blasts. It turned out that I didn't have much time to do that, though, because Tasuki whirled at the end of the hallway, jerking to a halt and calling back at the attackers, "Hey, you mu'fuckers want th' Suzako no Miko? Then you best come 'n' git her, asswipes!"

My head jerked up at that. "The Miko? But I thought – eep!" Then we were flying again, and I didn't have time to think about questions, much less ask them. So I buried my head again and let Tasuki take care of me. It seemed like the safest thing for _both _of us at this point.

I didn't know how long we ran, paused, taunted, and ran again, but eventually Tasuki swung me off his back and against a boarded-up door, panting beside me as we crouched inside a stoop. He fumbled with his gun, knocking out an empty cartridge and shoving a new one into place. His breath was heaving out of his chest like he was trying to keep his lungs from escaping, and I couldn't help but whisper a guilty, "Thanks" when I saw him like that.

"What? I'm s'pose-a… let'chu get capped… by those mu'fuckers?" he growled between breaths. "Fuck 'at. Fuck it… _sidewise_."

"Why are they after me?" I whispered. I tried to chance a glance around our hiding place, but Tasuki shoved my head down before I could even get a peek. "I thought they were trying to kill the emperor."

"Nah. I reckinize those mu'fuckers' colors anywhere. They's part-a this big fuckin' terr'rist gang, wanna burn out th' emp'ror 'n' make Konan they own."

"That sounds familiar," I drawled.

"'Ey, fuck you, Mika," he snapped back. "Rekkai's makin' life better. These mu'fuckers? They jis' wants t'watch shit burn. 'At's why they wants t'see th' Miko on ice. She gets her wishes, they figgers, Konan gon' get better, an' then mebbe they ain't gon' get 'nuff support no mores. Me 'n' mine, though… Shit, you make this hellhole better, ain't _none_-a my coms gon' complain. S'different, you dig?"

"Okay, okay," I agreed, holding up my hands in defense. "But I still don't get it. How could they find me? I haven't told hardly anyone that I'm the Miko."

"Prob'ly got leaked in Sou'un," he admitted between gritted teeth. "They's a rat in any group, don' matter what'chu do. An' 'at rat prob'ly tol' his coms up in Eiyou that they's a Miko runnin' 'round, an' _they_—"

"Found me," I finished with a nervous gulp. "Brilliant." I thought about peeking out again, but one look at Tasuki told me that'd be a pretty awful idea. "Did we lose them or something? I thought the whole point was that we were the decoys so the others could escape."

"Nah, we ain't no decoy, we jis' wanted t'split 'em up so's they'd be easier t' pick off. You, me 'n' Ren was th' only ones 'scapin'. 'Riko's still gon' have a fuckton-a work t'do back at th' hotel."

"What!" I squeaked, and completely forgot to keep my voice down. "You mean we left them back there to fend for themselves, trapped in that tiny room? We've gotta go back and help them! Nuriko doesn't have any back-up, she might need us—"

In all my panicked wisdom I tried to stand and dart out of the stoop, but Tasuki saw my plan from a mile away and grabbed my arm, dragging me back to sit beside him. "You retarded 'r somefin', Mika? Whole reason we split was t'keep you 'n' that sumbitch emperor safe. This way, me 'n' 'Riko each on'y gots one person we gots t'keep safe."

"But you've got Ren-kun to help you!" I protested. "And _I'm_ not frozen to my seat! Worse comes to worse I can run like my bum is on fire, but if Nuriko gets hurt then Hotohori's just gonna sit there until somebody – and we can't let them—!"

Tasuki clapped a hand over my mouth, using the other to hold me still. "First: shut th' fuck up. You aw'ready callin' down ever' asshole inna neighborhood. An' second: don't'chu worry 'bout that sumbitch emperor. You seen th' way that girl-a his watches him? He ain't gon' die, much's I hates t'say it. 'Riko ain't gon' let him."

"But Nuriko—"

"Knows damn well what she doin'," he snapped. "'Sides," he added, glancing out past our hideout as we heard the sound of footsteps on gravel, "ever'one knows you don' need alla seishi t'summon Suzaku. 'At's why we bo'f wanted _you_ t'breeze outta there steada 'at sumbitch emperor."

He said it so matter-of-factly that I felt like crying and kicking him at the same time, but the sound of approaching feet made me hold back. I promised myself that I would beat both him _and_ Nuriko to a bloody pulp later, for thinking that their lives were somehow less than mine. Just _thinking_ something like that made me sick to my stomach.

"Now keep low," he hissed. "We gon' have t'fly 'gin soon, but I wanna catch my breff long's I can. Lemme know if you spies anyone comin' from th' other way."

I nodded and positioned myself against his back, glad that I could do something useful even in a situation like this. As I looked along the empty alley, a thought that I should've had right from the beginning finally struck me. "Nee, Tasuki, if Ren-kun was supposed to escape with you, then where is he?" I felt my heart wedge itself in my throat. "Oh gods, you don't think he—?"

"Chill, Mika," he said, and even laughed a little when he said it. "Ren's fine. I tole him Slash 'n' Dash, di'n't I?"

"But what does that—?" I didn't get any farther than that, though, because three guys came around the alley from my direction, all sporting guns and none looking particularly friendly. "T-Tasuki—!"

I choked as Tasuki grabbed me around the waist and swung me around behind him, shoving me into the boarded-up door. I fought to find my breath again, glancing over his shoulder and watching as he leveled his enkou at the would-be attackers—

—then gasped as all three screamed and fell to the ground, dropping their guns and grabbing at their ankles. My eyes widened as I watched pools of blood form around their feet, and only then did I realize that _something_ had slashed their Achilles tendons.

"I dropped another five on the way here." I nearly screamed as Ren flickered into being beside me. "None of them are dead, I promise. Sorry I'm late."

"Late? You jis' in time f'th' party," Tasuki said with another of those half-crazy laughs of his. "Now look after this li'l kitten f'me, will ya? I gots s'm assholes t'ice."

He spun around again and gunshots roared out behind me, but I was too busy watching Ren to really notice. My fourth seishi – my sweet, innocent, tiny little fourth seishi – flicked his butterfly knives in one smooth motion, sending the drops of blood scattering off of them and against the walls. He glanced at me a little shyly out of the corner of his good eye, still keeping his head tilted in that self-conscious way of his. "I scared you, didn't I? Sumimasen. It's just that the only things I'm really good at doing are the tricks with my knives and that teleportation thing, so I thought… to help out, that I'd… b-but still, I scared you. I'll try to warn you next time. Sorry."

I blinked rice-bowl eyes back at him. "Oh, n-no, it's fine, I—"

"Down, Mika-san!" he cried, and that cool grace filled all his movements again as he pushed me to the ground. I had my head facing upwards this time, so I had a perfect view of Ren standing over me and flinging out his knives. They whirred across the alley in a blur of silver, taking out two more attackers in the process.

'_Wow. Ren-kun's kind of a superhero,' _I thought in that same, inane sort of way that I'd been thinking everything since this awful night had literally blown up in my face. I wanted to gush to Ren about this badass side of his, but there wasn't any time because another four or five attackers were inching forward – carefully, this time – to take the other two's places. "Yuu!" Ren called over his shoulder, sliding forward to shield me.

"I sees 'em," he hissed back, suddenly right behind me again. Dammit, between Ren's teleportation and Tasuki's speed, I was gonna have a heart attack before those terrorists had the chance to take a crack at me. "How many we got?"

Ren closed his eyes for a second, and I thought that I could maybe see the faint shimmer of red light around his form, but it disappeared as soon as he opened his eyes again. "Ten. Total, I mean. The others are too far away for me to feel them." I noticed that he didn't bother adding a _"Sorry I could be wrong because I'm not very talented"_ asterisk to this sentence. Apparently life-or-death situations made Ren gain some self-esteem.

Tasuki swore under his breath. "Too many t'fuck wiff here. 'Sides, I'm runnin' low on bullets." He hissed another curse out between his teeth. "We gots t'git someplace where we _can't _get shot at from bo'f sides."

"Oh, what about the stockyards by the river?" Tasuki and I both whipped around to face Ren, who blushed under our stares. "W-well, I've lived in Eiyou for the last year, you know…"

Tasuki grinned and shook his head. "You c'n 'splain later. F'now, jis' git us th' fuck outta here." He ducked his head out around the stoop again, squinting through both streetlight and the faint dawn light that was finally starting to filter between the buildings. "A'ight, we clear left. Ren first, an' Mika you stick t'him like he made-a crazy glue. I'm-a cover our asses. Go."

This plan sounded a whole lot like _'Tasuki takes a bullet for the Miko'_ to me, and I wasn't about to have any of that. "Wait." Now it was my turn to press a hand into each of my seishi's arms. "Ren-kun, can you teleport yourself to this place?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Not in one trip, but yes."

"Good. Do that. Tasuki and I will find you."

"Find him?" Tasuki repeated. "But how you gon'—?"

I tapped the side of my head, winking at him. "Hey, I'm the Miko, aren't I? I can _always_ find my seishi."

Tasuki looked pretty skeptical, but when I glanced at Ren I could see him considering the idea pretty seriously. After a half second that felt like three lifetimes he nodded. "Okay. Good luck, Yuu… Mika-san." Then he ducked a short bow, tugged on his baseball cap, and disappeared.

Once he'd vanished I turned back to Tasuki with a weak smile. "Mind playing horsie for a little bit longer?"

A couple winks later and we were sprinting down the alley again, our attackers hot on our heels. Tasuki was tired, and my weight was dragging him down, so we were never able to completely lose them, but we managed to stay one street away from them, keeping them far enough out of bullet range for comfort – though I still kept my head pressed close to Tasuki's neck so I didn't have to think about the occasional shot that might be whizzing past. I kept my eyes squeezed shut and my mind focused on Ren. Luckily, I'd played this hide-and-seek game with Ren before, so even with everything going on I sort of just _knew_ where to go.

"Left – right – right again – oh hell, dead end! Loop back around… left here… and then straight ahead for one… two… three… swing right, _now_!" I shouted directions like a proper navigator, and even had to fight the urge to giggle a couple times. Tasuki really _was_ my 'horsie' now.

A frantic sprint later and I lifted my head, feeling Ren pulsing nearby. I loosened one arm to point ahead triumphantly, peering through my flapping bangs at the piles of crates and beams and machines dead ahead. "Ren-kun's at the far end, behind those rusty-brown boxes!"

Tasuki threw on an extra burst of speed, heaving us around the corner and into safety. He collapsed as soon as we were under cover, shrugging me off his back as he did. I murmured another "Thanks," feeling a little guilty at how much I'd had to rely on him up to now. But hey, at least I'd navi'd us to relative safety. I glanced around, checking out Ren's 'safe place,' and had to say it wasn't a bad pick. We had the river behind us – though it would probably be fairer to say it was some kind of man-made canal, with the water flowing far below us, fenced in on both sides by walls of concrete – and heavy crates to either side of us. We were at the end of an absolute _maze_ of crates, too. If those guys wanted to come after us they were going to have to face us head-on and in close combat. Child's play for Ren and Tasuki, I figured.

"Shit," Tasuki gasped. "You got… real fuckin' heavy… in a real fuckin' hurry… Mika."

I stuck my tongue out at him but didn't bother replying. I looked over to Ren, ready to give _him_ some thanks, too, but stopped when I saw him watching the canal behind us, his arms crossed over his chest and his hands clenched into the crooks of his elbows like he was cold. I couldn't see hardly any of his face, he had his head tilted downwards as usual, but the half of his mouth that I _could _see looked like it might be in pain.

"Nee, Ren-kun," I murmured, touching a hand to his shoulder. "You okay?"

He shook his head, taking another step back from the canal. "I-I don't like this place. It was a mistake to come here."

"Don't be silly," I assured him. "Any of those guys make their way in here, you and Tasuki can take 'em out easy. And…" I glanced around, then found a nail-studded scrap of wood that looked about the right length for a baseball bat. I picked it up, taking a couple practice swings through the air. "I'll defend myself, so _you _guys can just cut loose without worrying about me. It's perfect, see?"

He shook his head again in that wobbly way that looked more like a shiver. "No. That's not it. This place, it's… I don't like it, Mika-san. I just don't."

"I don' like it neither, Ren," Tasuki said behind us. I looked back in time to see him heave himself to his feet, his own eyes on the canal. He gritted his teeth, then hurriedly looked away, back to the tiny entrance to our hideout. He drew his gun, flipping it around so he had the butt in his hand like a club. "But all 'at don' mean two shits right now. Get'cho ass in gear, Ren. We gots somefin' mo' 'portant t'do."

Ren shuddered again, then nodded and turned slowly from the canal. He didn't say anything to either of us, though, and I got the feeling that he couldn't push it aside as easily as Tasuki. I promised myself that I'd ask him about it later. Whatever it was, I had a feeling that it had a whole lot to do with why he'd left Sou'un – and maybe why he'd refused to see Kiku, too.

I didn't have much time to ponder it, though, because true to Tasuki's words the first of our newest batch of enemies rounded the corner, gun drawn and ready to fire, though it didn't do him much good seeing as how Tasuki clocked him hard across the jaw with the butt of his enkou. I winced at the loud crunch of bone, but didn't have time to ponder _that_, either, because those remaining nine were all over us like ants on chicken sandwiches, and it was all I could do to keep myself out of harm's way.

Not that I had all that much to do, to be honest. Ren and Tasuki were experienced fighters, and it didn't seem to matter whether they were going at it long range or close quarters. Ren moved in low, slashing at ankles and knees, while Tasuki aimed for faces and arms. Blood, spit, and teeth were flying everywhere, and if I hadn't been on such a fierce adrenaline rush I know I would've lost last night's dinner all over my shoes. As it was, though, I was pretty much just enthralled by the battle, totally lost in my seishi's ultra-slick fighting moves. Who cared if I was in mortal danger? I was in a live-action fight scene that'd put _all _my dad's favorite kung fu movies to shame!

"_Omaeeee…_!"

I whirled at the guttural roar just in time to see an attacker slip past Ren and dive at me. I squeaked and ducked to the side, and luck must've been with me because the guy stumbled, losing his footing for just half a second – which was all the time I needed to bring up my nail-encrusted piece of plywood and slam it into his teeth. His eyes rolled up into his head and he fell with a soft sigh that could've maybe been a curse.

"Whoa…" I gasped, staring first at him and then at the weapon in my hands. I felt a grin spreading across my face, no doubt pushed along by that adrenaline that was firing through my body at about a mile a minute. "Suck. On. _That_!" I cried, whipping back around and making a couple of jabs at the dwindling enemies. Suddenly I felt a little like a superhero myself. "Yeah, that's me, Miko the Destroyer! Come 'n' get me, you terrorist pigs! I'll wipe the floor with all of you! I'll—oh!"

Okay. Yeah. I _know_. Taunting them was a _bad_ idea. It just served to draw their attention towards me, and though there weren't that many left there were enough that one of them could wriggle away and come at me. I stepped back, weapon cocked over my shoulder like a baseball bat – and feeling pretty darn good about my chances, to be honest – when my foot hit something soft and lost its balance. I fell backwards, over the top of the guy who I'd knocked out before, and found myself staring up at a very angry man wielding what looked like an oversized skinning knife.

"Little bitch!" he snarled, jumping forward with his knife swinging. I screamed and threw my hands up in front of my face, for all the good _that _would do me, but even as I did I realized that I'd sort of expected this to happen. After all, Mitsukake had to have a reason to reveal himself as Mitsukake, right? So it just made sense that I'd have to get hurt the same way that Miaka Oba-chan had to get sick. I just hoped that wherever he stabbed me would knock me out fast, so that I didn't have to really feel it… I'd been shot already, and I'd heard once that getting stabbed hurt even more than getting shot, and getting shot had freaking _hurt_, so—

"Oof!"

'—_Is not the noise someone usually makes when they're stabbed, Mika,'_ I thought mindlessly, and risked opening my eyes to see what had happened. I didn't get to see much, but I saw enough.

Saw Ren side-tackle my attacker.

Saw my attacker whirl on Ren.

Saw knives flash, though where I couldn't tell. Saw hands grappling, and Ren's so much smaller, so much weaker.

Saw them both stumble backwards.

Saw the canal edge looming up behind them.

Saw my attacker topple.

Saw Ren topple with him.

And then—

"Oh, God!"

—Like a bad slow-motion action scene—

"Ren-kun! Ren-kun!"

—Me at the edge, staring down at the rushing canal water, the splash of water shooting upwards, the ripples flaring out from it—

"REN-KUN!"

—And then, nothing.

Absolutely zero.

* * *

**Japanese Terms:**  
Koshi – old city. The name of the district of Eiyou Mika-tachi are hanging out in.  
Haha-ue – formal, archaic form of "mother"  
Chichi-ue – formal, archaic form of "father"  
"_Omaeeee...!" _- literally, "omae" is just the casual, masculine way of saying "you," but taken in context it has a much ruder meaning. In this case, it's more along the lines of "bitch" or "damn you."

**Conversion Note**: When Mika says she weighs "about fifty-four" she is, of course, speaking in kilograms. In American terms, she's about 120 pounds.

**Author's Note: 4/22/09**  
Hey everyone!

Busyness strikes, so I don't have a lot of time to chat. It's a wonder I was even able to get this chapter posted (good thing I've had it written for a while, huh?). Ah, action chapters are always fun to write, particularly when it means Tasuki and Ren get to act like superheroes. And yes, I know, the cliffhanger ending makes me evil. But hey, I gotta keep you guys comin' back for more, right?

I'm really excited about the next chapter. It has another one of those scenes that I've been sitting on for a while, so it'll be a lot of fun to finally write it all out. Be ready for another bloodbath, more suspense than you can shake a stick at... and maybe just a dab of romance, too. (Haha, I got your attention now, don't I?)

Okay. No more talking. My pile of homework grows taller by the minute. Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and I hope to hear from you again after this one.

**Next Time: **As Mika and Tasuki race to find their fallen friend, Nuriko struggles to hold her position at the hotel. Badly outnumbered and with nowhere to run, will her devotion be enough to save Hotohori - and herself? See you next time!

/ Tangerine Infinity /


End file.
